Celtic only signed winger Jota on loan Benfica on deadline day, but they are already looking into a permanent deal for him.
That’s according to Sky Sports reporter Anthony Joseph, who has been speaking on the Celtic Exchange Podcast this week.
Joseph claims that Celtic ‘fully expect’ to be trying to push through a permanent deal next summer, and are predicting big things for Jota.
Joseph added that the purchase option in Jota’s loan deal is worth just over £6million, which still represents a considerable outlay for Celtic.
“I was told by one source that they fully expect to be trying to buy him next summer. They expect him to flourish, and they expect him to really set the place alight,” said Joseph.
“He’s highly regarded at Celtic, and they’ve done very well to get him in with an option to buy. I believe it’s a bit less than £6.5m, the option to buy, I think it’s just over £6m,” he added.
That deal would see Jota cost more than new Celtic hero Kyogo Furuhashi, who the Bhoys paid £4.6million to sign this summer.
Of course, the dream for Celtic will be to have Jota and Kyogo both thriving in the same team; it’s easy to imagine Jota on the left, Kyogo down the middle and Liel Abada on the right.
All three are dangerous attackers with real resale value down the line, which is exactly what Celtic need.
Jota needs to him the ground running after a tricky loan spell at Real Valladolid, but it’s clear that Celtic think highly of him.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
