Celtic have made a bright start to their summer transfer window, having already signed Odin Thiago Holm from Valerenga while a move for Marco Tilio is also believed to be close to completion. Thus, the Hoops are further strengthening their squad, as was expected following the appointment of Brendan Rodgers.
On the other hand though, the big worry for the club will be the departure of their best players. The likes of Kyogo, Reo Hatate, Cameron Carter-Vickers and several others have been linked with moves away. But it looks like Jota will be the first one out the door.
Out of the blue, rumours broke out recently that the Portuguese winger was closing in on a move to Al-Ittihad. And now, it is starting to look like only a matter of time.
As tweeted out by Fabrizio Romano, Al-Ittihad are closing in on a deal to sign Jota from Celtic. Agreement is being discussed between all the parties and it is now very close. The player is keen on the move.
Fabrizio delivers worrying late night Celtic news
Further rumours have suggested that Celtic will be receiving a transfer fee north of £20 million while Jota will get a contract worth more than £10 million-a-year. Thus, it is not hard to see why all parties might be interested in making the move happen.
Jota has been a key part of this Celtic team ever since he arrived in the summer of 2021, first on loan from Benfica and then on a permanent basis. But now, it looks like his time at Parkhead is set to come to a close soon.
If Jota does indeed leave, then we can only wish him the best of luck in what is to come. And Celtic must be ready to break their transfer record to sign someone, who can come in and replace the Portuguese winger in the starting XI from the start.