Should Celtic already be considering buying Jota?

Portuguese attacker Jota has been nothing short of a revelation at Celtic since signing on loan from Benfica. Six goals and six assists in fifteen appearances for the winger has caught the eye of many. You cannot argue with his contributions at Celtic so far which begs the question, should the Hoops already be considering buying Jota, despite it only being November? 

The twenty two year old can be deployed on either flank due to his ambidextrousness or even through the middle at a stretch. Jota’s primary position however is left wing and he has certainly made that spot his own since joining Celtic. It is a position in the team that has failed to be fully addressed since the departure of Scott Sinclair back in 2019. The signing of Jota, albeit on loan, seems to have solved this problem. In addition, Jota’s versatility makes him a functional key figure in Celtic’s attacking arsenal. At the minute, he is one of the first names on the team sheet. Whether it be on the left or right side of attack, the loanee never fails to galvanise. 

It is an unquestionable fact that Celtic, and football fans in general, enjoy watching tricky, skilful and enticing footballers; Jota’s rabona in the Premier Sports Cup semi final against St. Johnstone roused crowd thus proving this point. The Portuguese has already sparkled for Celtic so far with his dazzling displays. Some of his performances have been nothing short of tremendous. 

As we spoke about, the Portuguese has been able to match his showings with returns and has scored six goals and assisted an equal amount in fifteen appearances in all competitions for Celtic this season; his pass to set up Kyogo against Ferencvaros in the Europa League was particularly pleasing on the eye. This works out at a goal contribution every one hundred and nine minutes for the loanee who has found a new lease of life in Glasgow after somewhat stagnating in Lisbon and Valladolid. 

The facts and figures behind Jota’s loan spell so far cannot be denied. In addition, the Portuguese winger brings flair and panache to the side along with efficiency in front of goal which is invaluable.  

The door has assuredly been left open for Jota to make a permanent move to Glasgow. When announcing the capture of the Portuguese on loan, Celtic said there was an option to buy in the deal. 

Many outlets have reported this clause which is believed to be in the region of between five and seven million pounds. This price seems more than justified and even somewhat of a bargain. 

Celtic manager Ange Postecoglou was asked about Jota’s future and the potential for a permanent deal; the Australian was fairly laid back, saying the club nor the player will hasten over a decision. Postecoglou specifically said: “People just think you should sign players as soon as  soon as they show some potential but as I say, for me, what’s more important is that we have footballers here who appreciate what they have and Jota is certainly doing that at the moment.”

Similarly to Postecoglou’s view, some Celtic fans are of the opinion that the club should take it slow with Jota. Spending upwards of six million pounds on a player who has played just fourteen times for the club, especially when there is the option to pay such figures when the Portuguese has played a full season in green and white, is definitely an imprudent decision. It is also uncertain if Jota could sustain his current levels of output, in terms of goals and assists, for the remainder of the season, however pessimistic that may sound. In addition, the money Celtic would be paying for Jota if they were to sign him permanently soon, could be invested more shrewdly in places of the squad which need strengthened in the January transfer window. Evidently, there are a number of counter-arguments to the assertion that Celtic should sign Jota up permanently as soon as possible. 

Everything I discussed prior to my previous few points provide clear, coherent reasons for why Jota should stay at Celtic beyond his loan spell. The permanent capture of the twenty two year old would also provide Celtic with the prospect of making a pronounced profit in the future.

I believe it is a no brainier. Jota seems to be happy at Celtic, he’s providing on the park and is indisputably a favourite among the support. The signing of the Portuguese permanently would be a wise one that would certainly appease the fans as well as the player and manager. However, as I mentioned Celtic shouldn’t rush into anything as of yet. There is still a plethora of football to be played between now and the end of the campaign as well as time for the Hoops to contemplate a decision. 

To reinforce my views, I think Celtic should sign Jota permanently but maybe not as soon as many are desiring. 

Thank you for reading this article, if you have any thoughts or opinions, leave a comment below. Also, don’t forget to follow me @Josh_Footblog.