Breakthrough- Celtic strike deal with Jota but one step still to complete

The longest running issue of the close season should end this morning when Jota completes a £6.3m transfer from Benfica to Celtic, signing a four year contract. 

After intense, daily speculation Sky Sports nailed down the crucial detail late on Thursday night but it came with the phrase ‘has agreed a four year deal to join Celtic’. That should be upgraded to ‘has signed a four year deal to join Celtic’. 

After tweeting the news, just before midnight on Thursday Anthony Joseph of Sky Sports News reported: 

Benfica winger Jota has agreed a four-year deal to join Celtic on a permanent basis. 

Celtic had been waiting for the player to arrive back from holiday to finalise personal terms and Jota was at Celtic Park on Thursday night to commit his future to the Scottish champions. 

Securing Jota and Cameron Carter-Vickers on long term deals is a massive step forward as Ange Postecoglou embarks on his second season in charge of Celtic. 

If either player had declined to return it would have left a significant hole in last season’s squad, with Alexandro Bernabei signing on Thursday there is momentum and solidity going forward. 

Jota’s eye catching style of football was backed up by hard facts with 10 goals and 10 assists in the SPFL. He wasn’t out of place in the Europa League and instantly formed a great understanding with Kyogo Furuhashi. 

Celtic fly out to Austria on Monday for two matches, further signings are likely but the main parts of the squad are in place with two months still to run in the transfer window.