A permanent deal for Celtic winger Jota will be ‘a no-brainer’, but only if he maintains his current performance levels, according to Alan Hutton.
The lowdown
The 22-year-old joined Celtic on loan from Portuguese outfit Benfica at the end of the summer transfer window and the Hoops have the option to make the deal permanent for a fee of £6.5m.
He has made a strong start to his spell in Glasgow, contributing to eight goals in his first nine Premiership matches. Among those players who have made at least five appearances, WhoScored have him as Celtic’s third-strongest performer, behind only Anthony Ralston and David Turnbull.
A Bola reported last Saturday that the Hoops were ‘satisfied’ with Jota and were ‘thinking about moving forward to the definitive purchase’. A £6.5m deal would be one of the 10 most expensive outlays in the club’s history.
The latest
Speaking to Football Insider, former Scotland defender Hutton praised Jota’s efforts up to this point, but he also urged Celtic to take their time over the decision, stressing that it is ‘a lot of money’ to spend on one player and warning that they could regret making a hasty call.
The 36-year-old said: “If he can maintain this standard of performances, then that £6.5million would represent value for money.
“I’ve read a lot of people just saying ‘get him signed up now’, but I think you just always have to be careful.
“£6.5million for a team in Scotland is a lot of money, and you don’t want to go maybe a bit early and then realise that he’s tailing off towards the end of the season.
“The best thing to do would be to wait until January, monitor the situation and see if he is still progressing and performing.
“If he is doing that – then it’s a no brainer. I’m very sure Celtic will be happy with his displays and just hoping he can continue to produce – and if he does, they’ll sign him up.”
The verdict
Celtic can play the long game here. Jota is only 22 years old and his recent performances have illustrated his potential.
Parting with £6.5m will clearly put a dent in their budget, but it wouldn’t just help them in the short term. They could easily turn a handsome profit a few years down the line if Jota catches the eye of wealthy European clubs.
Hutton is right to advise Celtic against rushing into a decision, but the evidence so far suggests that the player is going a long way towards meriting a permanent deal.
In other news, Celtic are keeping tabs on this Premier League ace
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