JOZO SIMUNOVIC will return to Celtic today still furious with Torino after the Italians pulled the plug on a £3.5million move and he insisted they “invented” a knee injury to scupper the deal.
The 22-year-old Croatian centre-half was reported to have failed a medical and the Serie A outfit then attempted to downgrade the deal from a permanent transfer to a one-year loan contract.
It became clear they were trying to get the skilful Under-21 international for the current campaign without having to fork out a transfer fee.
The Hoops knocked back the revamped offer and Simonovic, who hasn’t played a first team game since January after knee surgery, insisted it was always Torino’s intention to take him on a temporary contract.
He said: “Torino wanted me on loan for a year, that was their target from the beginning.
“When they saw that would not happen, their medical examiner INVENTED an injury.
“They have imagined this if they are saying they have problems with a healthy knee.”
Simunovic has now vowed to fight his way into Brendan Rodgers’ plans where he will find competition from Kolo Toure, Erik Sviatchenko, Dedryck Boyata and Eoghan O’Connell while the Parkhead boss has also utilised Mikael Lustig in the middle of his rearguard this season.
The defender added: “I just want to play football.”
Simunovic arrived from Dinamo Zagreb in a £3.5million fee in August last year shortly after the
champions had sold Virgil van Dijk to Southampton for £13million.
champions had sold Virgil van Dijk to Southampton for £13million.
Unfortunately, injury wrecked his first campaign at Parkhead and the player was restricted to only 17 appearances.
However, the Croat, with four years left on his contract, is vowing to make up for lost time as this term unfolds.
