Chelsea and Barcelona have reportedly been dealt a blow in their pursuit of Celtic right-back Josip Juranovic.
The 27-year-old has spent the last 18 months with the Scottish giants and has become a first-team regular under Ange Postecoglou, scoring six goals in 51 appearances across all competitions.
Juranovic won the Scottish Premiership title with Celtic last season before representing Croatia at the 2022 World Cup last month, starting in six of their seven matches en route to finishing third in Qatar.
The attack-minded full-back is believed to have caught the eye of a number of top European clubs in recent weeks, including Chelsea and Barcelona.
Graham Potter is currently having to deal with a plethora of injuries within his first-team squad at Stamford Bridge, with right-back Reece James among those who have endured several weeks on the sidelines.
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Barca boss Xavi, meanwhile, has been in the market for a new right-back since the summer, with centre-back Jules Kounde featuring regularly on the right side of defence this term, while the futures of Hector Bellerin and Sergi Roberto are believed to be uncertain.
Chelsea and Barcelona are said to have identified Juranovic as a potential target in the winter window, but their hopes of recruiting the Zagreb-born defender appear to have suffered a blow.
According to the Daily Mail, Serie A outfit Monza are 'progressing well' with negotiations over a £7m deal to sign the Celtic defender this month.
The report adds that Juranovic's representatives held talks with Monza chiefs in Milan at the end of last week, with the club's owner and former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi keen to win the race for his signature.
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Juranovic is also wanted by Spanish club Espanyol and the right-back is now set to assess his options before deciding whether to leave Celtic in the January window.
Postecoglou has played down concerns over Juranovic's future and form following a poor performance in the Old Firm derby against Rangers last week and insists that the defender remains an "important" player for the Hoops.
"He's been an outstanding contributor for us for 18 months. He's been an unbelievable acquisition and done an unbelievable job, culminating in an unbelievable World Cup for himself," Postecoglou told reporters last week. "He's a highly valued member of this team. He works hard every day, and trains hard every day.
"I've got no issues with Josip. Last week, as I said, circumstances meant it wasn't his best performance for us but in terms of his contribution to us – I've got no issues. He's still very important."
Juranovic could be in contention to play for Celtic when they face Kilmarnock in the Scottish League Cup semi-finals on Saturday.
Oliver Thomas
