The prospect of Jota returning to Celtic this January was reportedly pushed by Al-Ittihad, it has emerged.
It's said that the Saudi champions contacted the Hoops about the possibility of taking the Portuguese star back on loan.
Of course, Celtic sold the 25-year-old to Al-Ittihad in June for a whopping £25m. His move swiftly turned sour after he was omitted from the club's domestic squad, meaning his game time has been severely limited.
However, while the Saudi side is keen to offload Jota, it's said that the conditions of the big-money deal have priced Celtic out of a move.
The Middle Eastern side is 'marketing' the player across Europe for a potential January loan, so long as there is an obligation to buy him in the summer.
Saudi media outlet HiHi claims Jota is on a shortlist of six players Al-Ittihad is touting around such European clubs.
But it was WinWin that claimed Celtic were one of the teams approached about the prospect of having Jota back, with Ittihad viewing it as an 'easy' option.
However, Shahid reports that Ittihad is more confident of striking a deal with a Premier League club.
Meanwhile, The derby between Celtic and Rangers will be better off without the presence of away supporters.
That's the viewpoint of former Hoops boss Gordon Strachan.
It was confirmed on Tuesday afternoon that no traveling Rangers supporters would be permitted inside Celtic Park for the upcoming derby on Saturday, December 30.
While this has been met with a mixed response by fans, with some of both clubs calling on their respective sides to sort out the ongoing issues surrounding away ticket allocations, ex-Scotland manager Strachan believes it's a good thing.
He told Boyle Sports: "It is going to be noisy, aggressive and nasty. Anyone who hasn't been already, you need to go and see it. It is exhilarating at times but sad at times when you listen to the songs."
