Celtic export Jota in Al-Ittihad transfer ban fear

The Saudi Arabian football authorities have threatened to ban Al-Ittihad from registering new players meaning Jota may be unable to play for his new club.  

Jota made his big-money move away from Celtic earlier this summer to join the Saudi Arabian side, Al- Ittihad. However, with a fee of £25 million, both Benfica and Celtic massively profited from the surprise move.

Recent reports from the Saudi newspaper Okaz have put Jota’s hopes of making his debut in the King Salman Club Cup next month in doubt. Football Scotland report that Al-Ittihad is in debt of roughly £20 million, which has caused the Saudi football authorities to threaten the club’s ability to register their new signings. It seems that Al-Ittihad has been given a deadline for repayment, in that case, Jota will be eligible to play.

Also, Jota wouldn’t be the only player affected by this ban, as former Real Madrid star Karim Benzema and former Chelsea star Ngolo Kante would also have to sit on the sidelines until this issue gets resolved. Although the threat has been pressed on the Saudi club, with the money they have splashed on transfers this summer, it is likely that they will resolve this problem in good time.