A Union Berlin chief has admitted he didn't think Josip Juranovic would sign for the club from Celtic.

Managing director Oliver Ruhnert has revealed he and others at the club were surprised to be able to get a deal over the line when the Bundesliga side tried their luck last month.

However, he's delighted they kept up their pursuit of the Croatian international, especially after the right-back's superb start to life in Germany.

Juranovic was linked with several top clubs around Europe after impressing at the World Cup in 2022.

The likes of Chelsea, Barcelona and Manchester United were all credited with an interest in the former Celtic star.

While none of these teams made an official approach, it was Bundesliga high-flyers Union who secured Juranovic's services in the end.

The German outfit paid out £10million to the Hoops for the defender.

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And Ruhnert admits the coup signing from Ange Postecoglou's team shows just how far they have come in recent years.

He said: “We came at the right moment with players like Juranovic and Ladouni. A few years ago, players would probably have said ‘no’. But you see that work has been done successfully here in recent years. That makes it easier for them.

“At first, we had the expectation that (the Juranovic deal) would probably not work out. We stuck with it, and were rewarded in the end. We had (Laidouni) on our radar for a long time. It was never realistic (before) but, like with Juranovic, we came at the right moment.

“Both are very positive guys in the dressing room. That is extremely gratifying. That’s exactly what we wanted.”

Glasgow Times:

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