The second Brendan Rodgers era is officially underway as the Celtic players returned to training on Monday to be put through their paces.
But there was one notable absentee and it was perhaps unsurprising as Jota was posted missing as his move to Al-Ittihad nears the finish line. The Portuguese superstar looks set to be the latest big name to chase the Middle Eastern megabucks and at 24, the Saudi Pro League are hoping he's the type of signing that well help legitimise and frame them as more than a retirement league for established pros past their best.
Al-Ittihad are paying the big bucks to land him; the fee in total will be around the £25m mark with Benfica due 30 per cent of the profit on the £6.5m deal that took him to Parkhead permanently a year ago, working out at around £5.5m. Jota will be taking home just shy of £200k per week according to sources in Saudi and as he looks to get the move over the line, he was absent from the big day at Lennoxtown as the players returned to hit the ground running.
