Celtic are close to turning Jota’s loan move into a permanent transfer, according to Football Insider.  

The Lowdown: Jota back in Portugal

Ange Postecoglou has reaped the rewards after the club brought the winger to Parkhead over the summer on an initial loan deal.

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Jota has scored eight times and registered six assists in just 18 games, but he missed the last seven fixtures prior to the winter break with a hamstring injury.

He has since returned to parent club Benfica to assess his recovery, but it appears as if the Hoops are making the most of the 22-year-old’s time on the sidelines and are closing in on a permanent swoop.

The Latest: Source shares Jota update

Football Insider shared a pundit piece on Saturday, shortly before Celtic announced the signing of Johnny Kenny, with Paddy Kenny reacting to the possibility of Jota and Cameron Carter-Vickers joining on a full-time basis.

Within their report, the site was informed by a Celtic source on Saturday that the Hoops are now close to signing Jota following talks with Benfica during the week.

The Verdict: Massive

The option-to-buy fee reportedly stands at £6.5m, so on top of a possible £6m for Carter-Vickers, Celtic could be making a serious investment. However, considering how influential Jota has been for the Hoops, a deal for that amount could actually turn out to be a bargain in the long run.

He is currently valued at £4.95m by Transfermarkt, so should he continue to perform as he has done so far in Scotland, you’d expect that it’s just a matter of time until his market value hits eight figures.

Celtic have shown in the past with Odsonne Edouard that a big-money addition can work following a successful loan when it comes to making an impact and a profit, so hopefully it will be the same with Jota.

In other news: Celtic now after 'energetic' international with January business not slowing up; Ange 'well aware' of target