Carlos Borges is the latest name Celtic fans have turned to as the deal to take Jota to Saudi Arabia gathers wind.
The 19-year-old Manchester City wonder-kid, who plays on the same wing as the popular Portuguese star, has taken the interest of multiple clubs for his talents after scoring 25 goals and providing 11 assists in less than 30 games for City's under-21 this season. And while Record Sport reported that Celtic are bracing themselves to lose their star man to mega-bucks Saudi Pro League champions Al-Ittihad for a whopping £25million, Parkhead punters have begun to question who Brendan Rodgers could recruit to fill the impending void left by the 24-year-old.
Borges boasts an impressive resume of 55 goals in nearly 80 appearances for City's youth side, something that has caught the eye of former Etihad coach now Leicester City boss Enzo Maresca. The Italian was a frontrunner to take over the hot-seat at the Scottish champions when Ange Postecoglou left for Tottenham Hotspur, with the Parkhead powerbrokers opting to give Rodgers a second go.
Yet in the case of Borges, Celtic could face stiff competition should they firm up interest in the attacker with reports in his homeland suggesting Benfica and Porto are monitoring the Portuguese's situation. The kid would follow a long line of young talent to make the move from City to Celtic, with the likes of Jeremie Frimpong, Olivier Ntcham and Patrick Roberts being top examples of the mutually-beneficial pipeline.
Reports suggest City could be open to a loan move or permanent transfer for their prize asset, with Maresca believed to have pull due to his long service in Manchester. But the wide man himself revealed that his interactions with boss Pep Guardiola are striving him forward to book a place in the Champions League winner's first team, as he laid out his ultimate ambition.
The youngster said in an interview with Publico: “Guardiola is an excellent coach, he gives me tips and has already left me several compliments. He lives in the moment, he is rigorous and always likes to win, even in training…When the opportunity comes I will show why I should be in the first team.”
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