da cassino： After joining Celtic on a season-long loan deal last August, Jota rather quickly established himself as a first-team regular at Parkhead, with the 22-year-old turning in a number of highly impressive performances for Ange Postecoglou’s side.
da 888casino： Indeed, the Portugal U21 international has so far scored ten goals and registered ten assists over his 32 appearances for the Hoops, leading to widespread calls for the Celtic board to activate their option to buy clause for the Benfica starlet – believed to be worth around £6.5m.
However, as the forward’s form has dropped off somewhat since the turn of the year, with the £18.5k-per-week dynamo currently being on a run of 15 games in which he has scored just two goals, would it still be wise for Postecoglou to make a move for Jota this summer? Our writers give their verdicts below…
Matt Dawson
“If Celtic can get a deal across the line for Jota then it would be a seriously eye-catching signing. Ange Postecoglou hasn’t been afraid to dip his toe into the market since becoming Hoops boss but this would undoubtedly be his best piece of business yet.
“Forget Kyogo, forget Reo Hatate and forget Cameron Carter-Vickers. All of them have been superb in the green and white but none possess the quite frightening potential that Jota has in his locker.
“Capable of opening up the sternest of defences, the Portuguese dynamo has racked up 20 goal involvements in all competitions this term, showcasing his stunning ability in the final third.
“Like McGeady, he can leave the full-back in a spin and it would not be a surprise if, further down the line, he sources a transfer fee that eclipses that of £25m Kieran Tierney and £13m Virgil van Dijk when they left Parkhead.
“A mesmerising talent who is taking Scottish football by storm in his debut campaign, a deal simply must be completed this summer to take Celtic on a further gear under Postecoglou.”
Vijievan Jeevathayalan
“Getting Jota in on a permanent deal should be an absolute no-brainer for Ange Postecoglou.
“The Portuguese wizard has fans on the edge of their seats with his close control and skilful dribbling, and it’s no surprise that, among his current teammates, he ranks second and third for dribbles and key passes per game this season.
“The Hoops have already had a small taster of what Jota can bring to the table, and ensuring he stays on a permanent basis would be a masterstroke from Ange.
“If Celtic are intent on creating a new era of dominance in Scottish football, then having quality players like Jota in the fold, is what will scare their rivals.
“Indeed, with a full league campaign under his belt, he’d light up Celtic Park even more than he already has.”
James Thompson
“Jota has already proven during his time at Celtic exactly what he offers the side in terms of intense attacking play and plenty of goals and assists – making it a no brainer for the club to try and sign him permanently.
“With a higher average of shots per game in the Scottish Premiership than the likes of Liel Abada, Kyogo Furuhashi and Giorgos Giakoumakis this season, the Portuguese starlet has what it takes to terrorise teams in Scotland and Europe for years to come.
“Looking to the summer transfer window, signing Jota on a permanent deal would undoubtedly have the Parkhead faithful buzzing and give Ange Postecoglou a deadly attacking option in his squad moving forward.”
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