Rennes considering offloading Jota with loan option on the table as Celtic rumour swirls | OneFootball

Rennes are reportedly considering selling Jota this January as the French side looks to free up squad space. The Superstar from Portugal only joined the Ligue 1 side in the summer, joining for around £6.5m but a change of manager has resulted in Jota ending up on the fringes of the first team again.

According to French outlet Ouest-France via Record Sport,  new boss Jorge Sampaoli has deemed Jota to be surplus to requirements and would sanction a transfer exit for the winger in January but could also allow the player to leave on loan.

Celtic have been cited with an interest in the player but this may be merely because of his connection to the club. Celtic could do a lot worse than a loan deal with an option to buy the player, especially as the winger has already taken the wage hit from Al Ittihad to Rennes. The rumoured wage package at Rennes is rumoured at around £40k-per-week, which puts him within Celtic’s capabilities.

Jota of Celtic celebrates with teammates after scoring during the UEFA Champions League group F match between RB Leipzig and Celtic FC at Red Bull Arena on October 05, 2022. (Photo by Martin Rose/Getty Images)

Pundit Michael Stewart told the Scottish Football Social Club podcast that he’d heard from chat about Jota and suggested that the a deal made sense for all parties.

“There is also a wee bit of murmur and chat about Jota again at Stade Rennes. The new manager has come in and has seemed to suggest that Jota is not fully fit but that’s he’s an important player.

“These types of players for that sort of money you can potentially get them for, they are few and far between. Jota for £5-6million? There are not many players like that who are available that also have a connection and know what the club is all about.”

Celtic sold Jota to Al-Ittihad in the summer of 2023 for a sum in excess of £25m, however our ‘Superstar from Portugal’ endured a torrid time in Saudi Arabia with little of the love coming his way from the club or that support, a huge contrast to his time in Glasgow.

After being frozen out of the team on a number of occasions by Al Ittihad, Jota signed for Rennes in a cut price deal as he looked to find his mojo. Since leaving Celtic, Jota has made just 34 appearances in a year and a half.

Jota made 83 appearances for Celtic in two seasons, scoring 28 goals and assisting on 26 occasions. Jota was a key figure under Ange, winning five trophies in two years and you have to think that he would’ve continue his upward trajectory under Brendan.

Celtic are on the lookout for wide cover with the news that James Forrest will be out for six weeks. Jota would represent a quality recruitment in an area that Brendan will be keen to strengthen. Luis Palma is rumoured to depart for the MLS in January.