Celtic are expected to make Jota’s loan move permanent before the end of the season, according to Anthony Joseph.
The Lowdown: Jota out injured
Jota has been in fine form under Ange Postecoglou this season, scoring eight times and registering six assists in 18 games in all competitions.
Unfortunately, the 22-year-old suffered a hamstring injury against Hearts earlier this month and will be sidelined for a ‘few weeks’, meaning he could miss the League Cup final against Hibernian at Hampden Park.
Kyogo Furuhashi’s £4.86m move is the most expensive signing of the Postecoglou era so far, however, it seems as if the Hoops will break that over the coming months.
The Latest: Joseph’s tweet
Joseph took to Twitter on Tuesday afternoon to share a huge update regarding Jota’s future.
He revealed that Celtic are ‘expected’ to trigger their £6.5m option-to-buy agreement for Jota from Benfica before the end of the campaign.
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The Verdict: Injury to help push through transfer?
With Jota sidelined for a ‘few weeks’ and not available for selection under Postecoglou, the Hoops could actually use this time between now and Christmas to get everything in place for a permanent transfer.
The option-to-buy figure at £6.5m is already in place, however, the length and details of a permanent contract may not be. His wage during a loan spell with Real Valladolid last season was worth £7,100-a-week, so perhaps that may need increasing off the back of his displays this year.
Numerous clauses may also need adding before a transfer can be announced, so Michael Nicholson could be wise to get a deal moving between now and the New Year with Jota and his representatives.
In other news: Devlin claims Celtic may now seal move for 12-goal beast before 2022 training camp
