Jota appears to be on the verge of leaving Celtic. Several reliable sources have reported over the last few days that the Portuguese winger has already agreed personal terms with Al-Ittihad. And the two clubs are believed to be in advanced talks over the £25 million transfer. It is not over the line yet though.
Jota is still expected to leave Celtic this summer. But it looks like his destination could unexpectedly end up changing.
As reported by The Scottish Sun, reports from the Middle East claim that Al-Ahli could make a late transfer bid for Jota. Their fans want the club to sign the Portuguese winger ahead of rivals Al-Ittihad.
Of course, this is good news for Celtic. If the two clubs end up contesting for the signature of Jota then it could potentially end up raising his transfer fee further. Till now, suggestions had been that the Hoops were set to receive an initial fee of £20 million plus another £5 million in bonuses.
Jota’s Celtic exit to Al-Ittihad takes last minute twist
It remains to be seen what the future holds for Jota. It seems pretty clear that he is on his way out of Celtic. But doubts have emerged regarding his next destination.
Celtic will be pocketing a big transfer fee out of Jota’s exit. At the same time, the club will need to replace the Portuguese winger as well. And that will be no easy task.
Jota has been absolutely superb for Celtic ever since arriving in the summer of 2021. Not only has he been one of their most creative and exciting players, but at the same time, he has risen to the occasion in big games as well.
It won’t be easy to find a player of his quality, who can walk into the club’s starting XI. The Hoops have done very well when it comes to identifying talents in recent times though.