NorthEast United are all set to add Australian forward Tomi Juric to their ranks for the rest of the 2023-24 ISL season, Sportskeeda can exclusively report.
The Highlanders, who let go of Ibson Melo earlier this month, will fill in the big void created by him with the 32-year-old.
Juric has a stellar CV and will add a lot of heft to the Highlanders’ offensive line. He is expected to man the front line along with Nestor Albiach, who has not been among the goals this season but has had a lot of influence with his link-up play.
The supporters of the NorthEast United can expect a brilliant partnership between Albiach and Nestor and hope that this will take them out of their mid-table position in the ISL and further towards the top four.
Juan Pedro Benali, who is the head coach of NorthEast United, is supposed to have played a big role in bringing Juric on board, and it will be interesting to see how well the latter fits into the system at Sarusajai.
Tomi Juric has played for Australia in the 2018 FIFA World Cup
Among other highlights, Juric has played in the 2018 FIFA World Cup for Australia. Although he came on in the 64th minute against Denmark, he started their game against Peru.
Despite not getting to score in either game, the experience must have helped Juric in improving his game, both skill-wise and mentally.
Being of Croatian descent, Juric has played for several clubs in the country, including Lokomotiva Zagreb and Inter Zapresic.
In Australia, he has turned up for several sides such as Adelaide United, Western Sydney Wanderers, and Melbourne Victory, with the latter being his last side.
Juric also has the experience of playing in the Netherlands, Switzerland, and Bulgaria, with CSKA Sofia perhaps being the biggest club of his career.
At the international level, Tomi Juric has made 41 appearances for Australia and has scored on eight occasions. His latest goal came for the Socceroos against Thailand in Melbourne at the 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification.
The 32-year-old also won the AFC Champions League with Western Sydney Wanderers in 2014 and the AFC Asian Cup with the Socceroos in 2015.
NorthEast United have a terrific player on their hands, and one can only expect their stocks in the ISL to rise after this acquisition.
