Jota is finally a Celtic player. That is what a lot of fans have been waiting to hear for a long time. It was always believed that the Hoops were ready to trigger the option to buy in his loan deal of a transfer fee about £6.4 million. But as the saga dragged on, and the player himself seemed to be a on a world tour during the off-season and did not show up on the first day of pre-season, some doubts had started to creep in.
Some even wondered if he could choose to remain at boyhood club, Benfica, and fight for a first-team place. All the worries were for nothing though, as Jota has joined Celtic on a five-year deal.
That does not mean that his love for Benfica is any less though, having spent a decade-and-a-half with The Eagles.
He compared him leaving Benfica with Kieran Tierney leaving Celtic back in the summer of 2019 in order to join Arsenal. As reported by Football Scotland, Jota said:
"“It’s quite a nostalgic moment because I was there for 15 years. It’s like a kid leaving home and his parents.“I feel like I still cannot take it well but it’s normal. I guess it’s like Tierney going to Arsenal. People kept saying to me ‘yeah he just left home’.“It’s the same case for me. I’m a bit nostalgic because I really love Benfica.“My story with them will keep going. I’m not going to say goodbye because one day I will go back.“I’m really happy to join Celtic and I’m 100 per cent here right now.“Joining a club permanently is a new chapter in your life so I’m here to be here and give my best.”"
Jota makes Tierney comparison after leaving Benfica to join Celtic
It is hard not to understand why Jota feels that way. At the end of the day, he came through the youth ranks at Benfica and spent more than half of his life playing for the club.
One difference between Jota and Tierney is the fact that the Scottish left-back had managed to establish himself in the senior team at Celtic. The Portuguese winger was not able to do that at Benfica or while on loan at Real Valladolid, despite having being one of the most highly-rated players in the world while coming through the youth ranks and even being linked with Real Madrid at one point of time.
Now, he is at Celtic, and that is all that matters for the moment. Jota has already shown what he can do for the Hoops and hopefully he will continue to deliver the goods for the Glasgow giants.