Jota departed Celtic on Monday to sign for Saudi Arabian side Al-Ittihad.
The deal is reported to have cost the mega-rich club £25m (Sky Sports) with Celtic set to make a strong profit on the winger.
It was a great deal for the club, a fact that made the pain from losing Jota a little easier to swallow.
The former Benfica man contributed to some amazing memories in his two years in Scotland, helping the club to five domestic trophies on the way.
He netted memorable goals in Europe and against Rangers, and provided glorious off-the-field moments like his trip to iconic Celtic pub The Brazen Head.
Given all that, it’s a surprise that Jota hasn’t posted a farewell message to the Celtic support.
The Portuguese star has posed on social media since his move, sending out a welcome message to the Al-Ittihad support on Instagram.
His big tear-jerking post may still be to arrive, but three full days have passed since the move.
Given that the likes of Moritz Jenz, Giorgos Giakoumakis and Josip Juranovic all had stuff to say when they left the club, Jota’s silence is pretty unexpected.
Many fans will argue that a social media farewell doesn’t even matter. It was what he did while at the club that will really be remembered.
Celtic goalkeeper Joe Hart spoke about his former team-mate at Thursday’s press conference. (Celtic YouTube)
“Jota did really well for us,” Hart said. “We wish him all of the best.
“Football changes real quick. We loved having him and I’m sure he loved being here.
“But that just opens an opportunity for someone else to come and play for this great club and really build a career for themselves.”
The fact that Hart is already looking to his replacement is more evidence that things keep moving in this game we all love.
Let’s hope we’ve got a big signing lined up to replace the brilliance of Jota.
In other news, Celtic want to add a goalkeeper to the squad in the coming weeks, according to a report
Receive a digest of our best Celtic content each week direct to your mailbox
