The speculation surrounding Jota’s future at Celtic really ramped up throughout Thursday with multiple outlets independently reporting that Saudi Professional League champions Al-Ittihad were keen on his services.
The rumours started via outlets in the Middle East, but much more information arrived later in the day from reliable journalists, adding credence to a potential exit.
How far any talks have progressed varied across reports, but all of them agreed that any fee would be north of £20m. Sky Sports reported, for example, that the move could be worth up to £25m to Celtic.
The Daily Record, meanwhile, reported that Jota’s agents are confident the deal will go through considering the money that Al-Ittihad are willing to put on the table for both the Bhoys in terms of fee and the player in terms of salary.
Celtic’s Jota profit
The Bhoys reportedly paid £6.4m for Jota from Benfica last summer after a successful debut campaign on loan. [The Athletic] That means Celtic will bank anywhere from £13.6m to £18.6m in excess of that fee.
It won’t all be profit, however, with the Portuguese side holding a 30% sell-on clause which applies to any sum earned over the money paid.
That means Celtic could be shelling out anywhere from £4.1m to £5.6m as part of the deal, per all the reported figures. But the ultimate profit will still be very healthy, from £9.5m to £13m in excess of the original £6.4m.
Supporters don’t enjoy wins on the balance sheet as much as on the pitch, but all of this is very relevant to Brendan Rodgers’ ambitions. If Celtic rake in a significant fee for Jota then it could allow him to bring in an even higher calibre of player.
The Bhoys making a profit on transfers is a very good thing for everyone. Celtic found Jota in the Benfica youth set-up, giving him a big opportunity which he more than delivered on. Now any exit will help the club reinvest back into progress on all fronts.
It never feels especially nice when fan-favourite players leave the club but, logically, this looks like a win for all parties if it goes through.
In other news, Celtic’s new season preparations are about to ramp up as Brendan Rodgers reign truly begins.
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