BERLIN (AP) — Union Berlin have signed Croatian right-back Josip Juranović from Scottish champions Celtic in the modest Bundesliga club’s biggest transfer to date.
The Union announced the transfer of the 27-year-old Juranović on Sunday, without giving details about the length of his contract or the transfer fee.
Media reports suggested Union had agreed to pay €8 million ($8.7 million) and up to €3 million ($3.3 million) in possible bonus payments to Celtic for Juranović. It is the most the former East German league club has spent on a player.
Union were only promoted to the Bundesliga for the first time in 2019, but have built on their achievements by finishing higher in every season since. They have been leading the German league for seven weeks this season. They are currently third, five points behind league leaders Bayern Munich.
Juranović played in all six of Croatia’s games at the World Cup, helping the team finish third. He was linked with possible moves to the likes of Barcelona and Chelsea.
But Union needed a replacement for Norwegian right-back Julian Ryerson, signed in the winter transfer window by Borussia Dortmund as cover for the injured Thomas Meunier.
A committed team player with a tendency to move forward, Juranović could even be an upgrade.
“Josip will be a good fit for us with his pace, his experience and his ability,” Union sporting director Oliver Ruhnert said. “We are convinced that we have signed a player who will help us quickly and we are very happy to have him.”
Juranović, who played Real Madrid, Shakhtar Donetsk and Leipzig in the Champions League group stage this season, will face Werder Bremen on Wednesday before a derby at Hertha Berlin on Saturday.
“Switching to Union fulfills my dream of being able to play in one of the best leagues in the world. The Bundesliga is intense and solid and it suits my game,” Juranović said. “I am really looking forward to playing in front of the fans at the Alte Försterei soon. I want to improve even more in Berlin and take the next step in my career.”
Prior to Celtic, Juranović played for Polish club Legia Warsaw, winning their first league title, and Croatian heavyweight Hajduk Split after emerging at local club Dubrava in Zagreb.
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