Celtic are preparing to open talks with Benfica over a permanent transfer for Jota, according to The Daily Record's Scott Burns. 

The lowdown

The Hoops have already sealed three January deals, recruiting Daizen Maeda, Yosuke Ideguchi and Reo Hatate from Japan's J1 League. According to Burns, it's full steam ahead as they negotiate the terms of a long-term deal for Spurs loanee Cameron Carter-Vickers.

Like the American defender, Jota completed a season-long loan move to Celtic on the final day of the 2021 summer transfer window. Under their agreement with Benfica, the Hoops have the option to buy the 22-year-old winger for £6.5m.

The latest

According to The Daily Record, Celtic intend to buy Jota and 'are looking' to initiate discussions with Benfica about the specifics of the deal.

Burns claimed that talks are likely to centre on the fee, the payment period and the possibility of add-ons. He also noted that Ange Postecoglou would like to complete 'the bulk' of his January transfer agenda quickly.

The verdict

This could be huge for Celtic. Jota has been excellent this season, scoring eight goals and providing six assists. Only Kyogo Furuhasi (15) can better his tally of 14 goal involvements, and Jota has played four fewer games (via BBC Sport).

Indeed, European football expert and journalist Alex Barker has gone as far as to describe him as 'Celtic's wonder talent'.

What's more, even if Celtic fans don't want to think about this right now, he's a player who could net a huge transfer fee further down the line. For instance, Pedro Almeida reported that they could sell him on for as much as £25.5m.

In a footballing and financial sense, a permanent deal for the 22-year-old makes so much sense and would be foolish to disregard.

In other news, Kieran Devlin has provided an insider update on this Celtic defender