Jota.

Said it in the match thread but he missed Kyogo more than anyone else in the team.

 

Lucky for us that's not how it works mate, no agent worth their salt would ever encourage a player to sign 6 months into a loan and especially not with a team who may or may not have champions League football.

The thing that works in our favour as well as the now almost guaranteed champions League football is that both Jota and Vickers have proved themselves, through the opportunities Celtic have provided them, to be worth more than 6m, especially to teams in England, and so we can offer them a big signing on bonus in reflection of that value which will go straight into the players pocket giving them a much higher effective salary and a greater incentive to stay without having to consider our wage structure.

Personally I think both are 100% invested in Celtic going by previous interviews and their goal celebrations in recent games. For them it will have been a life changing experience of a difference between being a nobody at a big club and being at a massive club swarmed for your autograph everywhere you go, effectively going from being unappreciated to being idolised.

The only thing I can see working against us is if he wants to play for Portugal then of course Scotland seen as a lesser league and so might get looked over. But again in our favour I think is that if he were to stay with Celtic for two more years with champs league football then a move to top 5 League top table team would be possible and would guarantee national recognition for Jota.

 

The only rumour that another team was interested what I’ve seen online is Everton (no pun intended)

He is not going to leave Benfica for them plus he is highly regarded at Benfica, they also have Gil Dias who has been playing there also when they have switched Everton to right wing.

Benfica even loaned another left winger at the start of the season before giving Jota game time.

 

If he stays at his parent club he will become Patrick Roberts mk2. Shame, would love him. Would become a hero for so many. No doubt we will or already have made the offer to buy so its purely down to the player. If he doesn't sign? Ange does ange things and will find another.

 

Absolutely, couldn’t agree more if he goes back and it’s a carbon copy of Roberts.

It’s not like FF and Jota is on daft wages and wants to go back. Would be an extremely silly decision if he goes back.

 

Benfica supposedly knocked back an offer on Everton from Flamengo last summer, if it's true or not I don't know. They've given him two seasons now to see if he could cope in European football and the writing is on the wall. They will probably look to recoup some of the money they've spent and punt him to the highest bidder when the opportunity arises. Hopefully after Jota have penned a five year deal with us.

 

Both Everton and Gil Dias are crap and should leave asap. Roger Schmidt (our new manager) will be the one deciding, of course. Gil Dias is definitely going out this summer. Everton will be more difficult to offload because he is a very expensive player.

The only good winger we have in the senior squad is Rafa Silva and there are rumours that he wishes to leave.

According to the press, we are looking to sign Di Maria (former Benfica player but unfortunately not gonna happen, he is still world class), David Neres (looking to leave Ukraine) or Francisco Trincão (Portuguese player from the same generation as Jota and shared with Jota the golden boot in the Euro u-19 that took place in 2018). All of these 3 are left footed wingers.

Then we have very interesting options in our youth ranks. Tiago Gouveia is a right footed winger and the best player in Benfica B (Portuguese second division). He will most likely have a chance next year. And today our u-19 team plays the UEFA Youth League final (the u-19 Champions League). It's our 4th final since the tournament was created 9 years ago and we have a kid there named Diego Moreira (left winger but left footed) that I would be very surprised if he does not turn out a world class player.

2014 UEFA Youth League final - Gonçalo Guedes was the main star
2017 UEFA Youth League final - Jota, João Félix, Rúben Dias and others (quite a strong generation)
2020 UEFA Youth League final - Gonçalo Ramos, Henrique Araújo and Morato (current first team players for us)
2022 UEFA Youth league final - ??

Arguably the strongest youth generation was the 2012-13 (Lindelof, João Cancelo, Bernardo Silva, Gonçalo Guedes and Hélder Costa). There was no UEFA Youth League back then. But this is to say that usually we have quite a few talents every couple of years and there is always the possibility that the new manager prefers to promote a 17 or 18y old instead of opting for Jota. Time will tell.

 

Everton hasn’t been that bad this season, I understand that most SLB fans have issues due to his high fee and expect more from him.

Dias was recalled due to the lack of left wingers and injuries, I agree he is not a number one choice but having him starting ahead of Jota is poor.

Francisco Trincão Would be good business but it’s unlikely Barca will let him go for a cheap fee due to paying €30 million for him.

Tiago Gouveia Looks a fantastic prospect and looks like the best thing up and coming in Portugal.

I just don’t see Jota Starting next season for SLB but if the new manager has made him promises then he won’t be back at Celtic, which is unfortunate because at the reported 6 million but out clause would be a steal.

There is also a chance he could return to SLB and his form could dip like he did when he stepped up to the first team which caused him to be loaned out previously.

I had high hopes of him signing before Christmas and his injury but not now.

 

Its a no brainer for us to sign Jota on a permanent deal, he may have been off form for a bit but we know what he is capable of. The position he plays in, it is difficult to keep the standard of his performance up every week. Ultimately it will come down to the player and the usual descision, money or career progression. In his interview he states he is enjoying his football at the Club and is learning everyday, hopefully that is a positive sign. Guaranteed Champions League Group stage football may sway him to sign, he is young and has plenty of time to go to EPL to be a regular not just to warm a bench if he even got to the bench.

 

Jota is a mercurial talent in his own right and too good not to be playing football.

If he stays with us, he will be at Celtic for one more season before English/European teams come calling. The only way he should stay at Benfica is if the new manager guarantees he will be the starter, which i highly doubt he will.

Cant understand how Benfica have a player with the pedigree and potential of Jota and end up loaning him to us with such a low option to buy in the deal. Cant help but feel they have badly mismanaged him.

He is rated and loved at Celtic and should he stay he will play, maybe in the champions league. The pathways taken by previous players should serve as an example as to why he should stay.

 

He's one of them footballers that love being sung from the terrace, he loves the fan interaction, he kinda feeds off it (both directions). He's a talant, I do hope we sign him. Career wise? Possibly an easy decision for him. 60k fans at home, winning titles and European football. Use that to his advantage for the next stage of his career.

 

Jorge Jesus assessed the squad when he arrived and didn’t really look at youth and wanted more established players who where ready to walk into the first team. They even loaned a left winger in before giving Jota a look in.

Jota a few seasons back got too big for his boots breaking into the starting 11 and his performances went downhill.

His loan to Real Valladolid was up and down and he never really had the form he had with us this season until his injury.

He showed so much promise with the under 18/19/21 Portugal sides and even with Benfica but stalled a bit until bursting out this season.

I think it’s been a perfect storm for us to get him in loan with an option to buy at 6 million.


The current coach has till the end of the season, unless he has said to Jota I will get it full time and you will be back here playing they could get someone else in and they could say Jota is surplus to requirements.

 

20 minute Tim's said there's a rumour he's viewing houses in Glasgow

 

Thing that worries me when players act like this is that i feel / think they are trying to put themselves in the shop window - Ryan Christie.. was doing great as a team player then he started trying to make it all about him ( to the detriment of the team and results ) .. then he is off. i am sure there are a few others but that is my worry.. he isnt interested in being a team player -- or if he is its not as a Celtic team player.

one thing i do know.. if his heart isnt here then Ange will let him go and get someone else in who really does want to be here for the team , the fans and to better himself as a player.

if Jota doesn't sign i wont be in the least surprised. If he stays i will be delighted and accept i've misread the situation.

( Just score on Sunday whatever happens )

 

I think it was a mental take for people to say we shouldn’t sign him if the opportunity comes up, just because of a mediocre 2-3 months period.

The guys clearly a very, very talented player, at an age where he’ll develop further. If the opportunity is there to sign him then we snap their hand off.