Celtic were not in action this weekend in the Scottish Premiership as their scheduled clash with Dundee at Parkhead was postponed due to storm damage to the stadium.
This means that the Hoops are in Champions League action for the second match running as they prepare to take on Premier League side Aston Villa on Wednesday night.
The Scottish giants have already qualified for the play-off stage of the competition, having beaten Young Boys 1-0 last time out, but they still have a chance to bypass that by beating Villa and finishing in the top eight.
Brendan Rodgers will have to prepare for this clash at Villa Park without the striker who started in the win over Young Boys, though, as Kyogo Furuhashi is close to moving on from the club.
The Japan international, who scored 85 goals in 165 matches for Celtic in all competitions, is set to join Ligue 1 side Rennes in a deal reported to be worth £10m.
Whilst losing a player with his record is a blow, given his proven pedigree in front of goal, the Hoops are set to receive an instant boost by signing Jota from Rennes.
Why Jota could be a big signing for Celtic
The Portuguese forward has been in Glasgow this weekend to put the finishing touches on an £8m transfer from the French outfit, 18 months on from his move to Al Ittihad from Celtic in the summer of 2023 for a fee of £25m.
Rodgers will not have the forward available for selection for the trip to Birmingham, however, as he has not been registered as part of their squad for the league phase, and will have to wait for the knockout rounds to play in Europe this season.
Jota will be instantly available, barring any injury issues, for league action, though, and could make his debut, provided the deal is officially completed by then, in next weekend’s trip to Motherwell in the Premiership.
The 25-year-old wizard has not enjoyed a great time in France this season, with one goal and zero assists in nine Ligue 1 appearances, but Celtic already know that he has the quality to make a huge impact in Scotland, due to his form for the club in the past.
As you can see in the graphic above, Jota was incredibly productive during his two seasons in the Premiership with Ange Postecoglou in the dugout, hitting double figures for both goals and assists in both the 2021/22 and 2022/23 campaigns.
The former Benfica starlet is a left winger who can provide a big and constant threat with his ability to score and assist goals, which makes him a nightmare for opposition defenders, who know that he can go inside onto his right foot or on the outside to create for others.
With over a week left in the January transfer window, Celtic may not be done yet and they could land a dream signing for Jota by snapping up one of their other targets.
Celtic keen on Premiership midfielder
The Glasgow Times reported earlier this week that the Glasgow giants are one of the teams interested in a deal to sign Motherwell central midfielder Lennon Miller.
Transfer Focus
It was claimed that the Premiership outfit have already turned down an offer of £2.5m from Serie A side Udinese for the Scotland U21 international, as they are holding out for a bigger deal.
The outlet stated that Motherwell want a fee in the region of £4m to sell the 18-year-old talent during the January transfer window, as they seemingly do not want to lose their big talent midway through the 2024/25 campaign.
Glasgow Times added that Celtic and Rangers are both keen on the Scottish youngster, but did not reveal whether or not either of them will make a firm offer to secure his services ahead of the second half of the season.
Udinese’s official bid to sign him, despite being rejected, could be a wake-up call for the two Glasgow giants, however, as there is serious competition for the midfield star’s signature this month and they could miss out on him if they do not act now.
The Hoops should push to sign the teenage ace before the end of the January transfer window because he could be an exciting addition to the group and a dream signing for Jota.
Why Lennon Miller would be a dream signing for Jota
As aforementioned, the Portuguese attacker has had a rough time of it of late in France, failing to produce much quality in the final third in Ligue 1, but is a player with the potential to score goals on a regular basis when he is at his best.
Celtic could help him to get back on track in front of goal by putting him in a team that is full of creative players who can give him the ball in areas where he can thrive at the top end of the pitch.
Miller’s form for Motherwell in the Premiership this season suggests that he is a player who could help Jota by consistently creating high-quality opportunities for the winger.
The 18-year-old star, who has been described as “ridiculous” by James McFadden, has created eight ‘big chances’ and made 1.8 key passes per match across 19 appearances in the Premiership.
Meanwhile, no central midfielder in the Celtic squad has created more than seven ‘big chances’, which suggests that Miller could arrive as the most creative midfield talent at Parkhead, making him a dream for a goalscorer like Jota by consistently putting him in positions to find the back of the net.
Appearances
19
Goals
2
Assists
6
Tackles + interceptions per game
3.4
Ball recoveries per game
6.6
Ground duel success rate
60%
As you can see in the table above, the Scottish maestro also offers quality out of possession, winning the majority of his physical battles on the ground whilst making numerous defensive interventions each match.
These statistics suggest that the teenage ace is a well-rounded midfielder who could come in as a terrific signing for Celtic in the short-term and the long-term, due to his age, whilst being a dream for Jota with his creative passing in the middle of the park.
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