It was in the summer of 2023 that Jota left Celtic in order to join Al-Ittihad in a then Scottish-record transfer. It did not take long for him to find out that the green is not greener on the other side. A move to Rennes followed and that did not work out for him either. Now, merely 18 months later, the Portuguese winger is back.
Celtic have officially announced the signing of Jota from Rennes. He has signed a five-and-a-half-year contract, which will see him remain at the club until June 2030.
Jota first arrived at Celtic in the summer of 2021, on loan from Benfica, and was signed on a permanent basis a year later. He was one of the faces of the Ange Postecoglou era, winning five trophies and scoring plenty of important goals over his two seasons at Parkhead.
Brendan Rodgers has a brilliant record when it comes to working with wingers as well. Names like Nicolas Kuhn, Daizen Maeda, Patrick Roberts and Scott Sinclair have all thrived under his management at Celtic. Hopefully, Jota will do the same.
Jota shares real reason behind Celtic return as announcement made
Jota has now shared why he has chosen to return to Celtic. He seems to be looking for a place with a 'soul' in order to rediscover his best. As reported by the club's official website, he said:
"The best thing in Glasgow, besides Celtic obviously, is the people and I feel like I need a place with soul, where I feel at home. This is definitely something I was looking for, and I think there is no better match than Celtic.
“I’m so excited. The last year-and-a-half has had its ups and downs, but that’s life and that’s how football is. Now I just can’t wait to work hard, to get along with the lads again and just to flow."
Celtic is the only club where Jota has thrived in the senior game. Perhaps it is the best fit for him and a fantastic opportunity to bring his career back on track after the disappointment of the previous 18 months.
It remains to be seen how Jota fits into Rodgers' plans. He is at his best on the left flank. Does that mean that Maeda will shift to a more central role with Kyogo leaving for Rennes?