Celtic could seal Jota swoop for ‘nothing’ after player reveal – pundit
Noel Whelan is adamant other teams will be “sitting up and taking notice” of Celtic loanee Filipe Jota.
The former Leeds striker, speaking exclusively to Football Insider, urged the Parkhead side to complete a “mouth-watering” swoop for the 22-year-old.
Jota scored his eighth Celtic goal as the Hoops registered a 2-1 home win against Aberdeen on Sunday (28 November).
The Portugal U21 international also found the net as the Bhoys fell to a 3-2 away defeat against Bayer Leverkusen in the Europa League last Thursday (25 November).
Speaking after that game and quoted by the Glasgow Times, Jota insisted he is “very happy” at Parkhead but claimed he “doesn’t know” what parent club Benfica are thinking.
Celtic reportedly agreed an optional purchase fee of around £6.5million in the loan agreement.
When asked about the prospect of Jota signing permanently at Parkhead, Whelan told Football Insider‘s Ewan Kingsbury: “£6.5million is nothing, is it?
“He scored another great goal at the weekend, showing he can handle the massive pressure at Celtic.
“He’s on loan, so I’m sure other teams will be sitting up and taking notice of what he’s doing. But look, if he’s happy at the club then Celtic have a great chance of getting him permanently.
“He has a good relationship with the manager, players and fans. That will continue to blossom as the season develops.
“He’s in a great place at the moment and he’ll be very tempted to stay – it’s a mouth-watering prospect for Celtic.”
According to journalist Pedro Almeida (20 November), Celtic “will advance” with the permanent signing of Jota.
The transfer window opens on 1 January – with the winger’s loan expiring at the end of the season.
In other news, senior figure has made mind up on quitting Celtic after offer from England.