Jota is one player who has been constantly linked with a return to Celtic since leaving the club last year. It does feel like it has been a lot longer than that. The Portuguese winger joined Al-Ittihad but never managed to find his feet there. It looked like his nightmare had ended when he joined Rennes in the summer but it looks like he could be on the verge of a fresh one.
Rennes are not in a good spot right now and have already changed managers once. Under the previous management, Jota had started three straight games.
But since Jorge Sampaoli's appointment as Rennes manager, he has found himself back on the bench. He came on as a substitute in the first two matches and was left as an unused sub in the most recent one.
As a result, one has to wonder if Jota is already out of the new manager's plans. Unsurprisingly, that has led to speculation on social media about a potential return to Celtic once again.
Jota linked with Celtic return after Rennes boss' decision
Interestingly, the timing would make sense for Celtic. That is because, they could be in search of a new winger on the left flank soon with Luis Palma's future at the club in serious doubt.
Palma has barely featured this season and seems to be out of Brendan Rodgers' first-team plans. Teams in the MLS are believed to be interested in him and a January exit cannot be ruled out.
Most Celtic fans would welcome the idea of Palma being replaced by Jota. The Portuguese winger was a fan favourite during his time at Parkhead and proved himself in Glasgow Derbies as well as other big games. Someone like him could be a nice addition to this current side. Let's see what the future holds.