Josip Juranovic: Atletico Madrid make right-back priority but face €40m dilemma

Atletico Madrid’s president has confirmed the club are targeting a new right-back – but they must sell before they buy with strong links to Celtic’s Josip Juranovic.

Reports emerged of the Spanish giants’ interest in the Scottish champions’ impressive right-back.

Celtic are understood to want at least £15million for the Croatian international who is equally comfortable at left-back as he is at right.

Juranovic will likely be a key player for Ange Postecoglou in the Champions League group stage as well as for Croatia at the World Cup in Qatar and has four years remaining on his current deal.

Atletico have already added Axel Witsel but Diego Simeone may have to be patient to add more additions with the club needing to raise €40million. But right-back is a priority with Juranovic’s Croatia team-mate Šime Vrsaljko to leave when he is a free agent, while their other right-back option is Daniel Wass who 33 years of age.

The club’s president Enrique Cerezo confirmed the club need to “meet some financial commitments”, amounting to around €40million.

"We can sign what we can sign,” he told AS.com. “I think that in order to sign we all need to sell. We will see to who is sold and who is bought.

“It's €40million that we have to sell, and that's where we are. The market is not easy, it is very difficult. And the economic situation you already know how it is.”

He added, when asked about a right-back: “Well, we already have the midfielder. It's Witsel, which as you all know is practically done, and we're searching for that (right) side.”