Jota joined Al-Ittihad in a £25million deal this week to simultaneously boost Celtic chiefs' coffers and break Hoops fans' hearts - no more than his own, he says.
The Portuguese winger joined Celtic on loan at the start of the Ange Postecoglou revolution as a fresh faced teen who had played little first-team football for Benfica and endured a relatively disappointing spell at Spanish side Real Valladolid. It's fair to say that Jota saw his breakthrough at Celtic Park; 13 goals in 40 games equalled his goalscoring tally for both Benfica and Valladolid over a six year spell, and last season he recorded similar figures with 15 goals - two of those coming in the Champions League as he nailed down a boosted reputation across the continent.
But with Al-Ittihad coming in with a £25million bid, it made financial sense for both club and player for him to move on, equalling their record transfer sale when Kieran Tierney departed for Arsenal in 2019. And the Portugal wing star penned his thoughts on the move - saying that he loves Celtic more than some of his former girlfriends.
