Al Ittihad have confirmed the signing of Houssem Aourar from AS Roma, meaning Jota is moving nearer to the exit. Celtic sold the Portuguese winger to the Saudi side last year in a £25m deal; however, it has been a difficult year for the superstar from Portugal.
According to Fabrizio Romano on Twitter/X, Al Ittihad have confirmed the signing of the ex-Lyon star.
🟡⚫️ Official, confirmed. Houssem Aouar has signed in as new Al Ittihad player from AS Roma. pic.twitter.com/ZMjaWxSUzY
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) July 16, 2024
🚨🟡⚫️ Aston Villa want more than initial €55m bid from Al Ittihad for Moussa Diaby.
He’s considered as important player by Unai Emery, talks will continue with Al Ittihad.
More round of talks are also needed on player side in terms of financial/contract agreement. pic.twitter.com/2DXRMuKJIU
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) July 16, 2024
Laurent Blanc is set to take over as manager and will likely be adding Moussa Diaby to his ranks in the coming days. Aston Villa and Al Ittihad are locked in talks over a £50m transfer and you would have to wonder what this meant for Jota if he is still there.
Jota has made just 22 appearances in all competitions in Saudi, scoring four goals and assisting once. The form and (lack of) adulation in the Saudi Pro League is a far cry from his time at Celtic, where he produced extraordinary moments in the Hoops. During a recent meeting with Celtic fans in Lisbon, Jota said that he wasn’t sure but that he loved Celtic when asked if he was coming back.
During two years in Glasgow, Jota 83 appearances for Celtic as they won five trophies. In those games, he scored 28 goals and assisted on 26 occasions, which resulted in links to a number of clubs.
Brendan has already shown his intent this window and it would be a real statement from the club if they were to end Jota’s Saudi misery and bring about a Celtic Park return for Jota.