Report: Everton now want to sign 24-year-old forward for free, just months after he made £25m move
Everton are among of a number of clubs tracking Al Ittihad’s Jota.
According to 90min, the Toffees could consider a move for the forward after he was left out of Al Ittihad’s squad for the season.
Jota joined Celtic in 2021 and was hugely impressive in Scotland, scoring 21 goals and providing 21 assists in only 62 league games. However, Celtic fans were left gobsmacked when the 24-year-old chose to leave them in favour of a big money move to Saudi Arabia this summer.
Al-Ittihad joined Fabinho, Karim Benzema and N’Golo Kante in joining Al Ittihad, where he arrived on a club record fee of £25 million back in July.
Jota scored his first goal against Al-Wehda in August, however things have already turned sour after he wasn’t registered to play in the current campaign.
Talks are already ongoing between the former Portugal youth international and the Saudi club as they look to release him from his contract already so he can quickly return to Europe.
The possibility of Jota being available on a free has attracted interest from a number of clubs including Everton, Brentford, Crystal Palace, Fulham, West Ham and Celtic. However, Tottenham Hotspur look the most likely to win the race.
Ange Postecoglou signed the attacker for Celtic two years ago and could be interested in reuniting with him, while it also eager to link up with his former manager.
However, it is reported that Al Ittihad could also hold onto Jota until January to make a fee from his exit. Though they are likely to be forced to accept a loss on the £25m they paid for him in the summer.
Jota would be an ambitious one for Everton
Jota could be a huge bargain if he is available on a free transfer in the near future, while he could still be available on the cheap if Al Ittihad look to sell him on in the new year.
The forward would be an exceptional signing for Everton and he would undoubtedly improve their frontline, though it would be a huge surprise if they managed to lure him to Goodison Park.
Jota is said to be raking in around £200,000 per-week at Al-Ittihad and, while he will definitely have to accept a pay cut if he leaves, Everton don’t really have the cash to offer him a tempting deal.
If Tottenham are to remain in the race then it also seems very unlikely that the Toffees could move ahead of them, while a move to London with any of the other interested parties (bar Celtic) probably pushes Sean Dyche‘s side even further down the list.
