Celtic weren’t in motion this weekend within the Scottish Premiership as their scheduled conflict with Dundee at Parkhead was postponed on account of storm harm to the stadium.
Because of this the Hoops are in Champions League motion for the second match operating as they put together to tackle Premier League aspect Aston Villa on Wednesday evening.
The Scottish giants have already certified for the play-off stage of the competitors, having overwhelmed Younger Boys 1-0 final day out, however they nonetheless have an opportunity to bypass that by beating Villa and ending within the high eight.
Brendan Rodgers must put together for this conflict at Villa Park with out the striker who began within the win over Younger Boys, although, as Kyogo Furuhashi is near shifting on from the membership.
The Japan worldwide, who scored 85 goals in 165 matches for Celtic in all competitions, is ready to affix Ligue 1 aspect Rennes in a deal reported to be worth £10m.
While shedding a participant together with his report is a blow, given his confirmed pedigree in entrance of aim, the Hoops are set to obtain an instantaneous enhance by signing Jota from Rennes.
Why Jota may very well be a giant signing for Celtic
The Portuguese ahead has been in Glasgow this weekend to place the ending touches on an £8m transfer from the French outfit, 18 months on from his transfer to Al Ittihad from Celtic in the summertime of 2023 for a fee of £25m.
Rodgers won’t have the ahead accessible for choice for the journey to Birmingham, nonetheless, as he has not been registered as a part of their squad for the league part, and must watch for the knockout rounds to play in Europe this season.
Jota will likely be immediately accessible, barring any harm points, for league motion, although, and will make his debut, supplied the deal is formally accomplished by then, in subsequent weekend’s journey to Motherwell within the Premiership.
The 25-year-old wizard has not loved a good time in France this season, with one goal and zero assists in 9 Ligue 1 appearances, however Celtic already know that he has the standard to make a huge effect in Scotland, on account of his kind for the membership up to now.
As you possibly can see within the graphic above, Jota was extremely productive throughout his two seasons within the Premiership with Ange Postecoglou within the dugout, hitting double figures for each objectives and assists in each the 2021/22 and 2022/23 campaigns.
The previous Benfica starlet is a left winger who can present a giant and fixed risk together with his potential to attain and help objectives, which makes him a nightmare for opposition defenders, who know that he can go inside onto his proper foot or on the skin to create for others.
With over per week left within the January switch window, Celtic might not be achieved but and so they may land a dream signing for Jota by snapping up certainly one of their different targets.
Celtic eager on Premiership midfielder
The Glasgow Times reported earlier this week that the Glasgow giants are one of many groups enthusiastic about a deal to signal Motherwell central midfielder Lennon Miller.
It was claimed that the Premiership outfit have already turned down a proposal of £2.5m from Serie A aspect Udinese for the Scotland U21 worldwide, as they’re holding out for a much bigger deal.
The outlet acknowledged that Motherwell desire a price within the area of £4m to promote the 18-year-old expertise throughout the January switch window, as they seemingly don’t need to lose their massive expertise halfway by the 2024/25 marketing campaign.
Glasgow Occasions added that Celtic and Rangers are each eager on the Scottish teen, however didn’t reveal whether or not or not both of them will make a agency provide to safe his providers forward of the second half of the season.
Udinese’s official bid to signal him, regardless of being rejected, may very well be a wake-up name for the 2 Glasgow giants, nonetheless, as there’s severe competitors for the midfield star’s signature this month and so they may miss out on him if they don’t act now.
The Hoops ought to push to signal the teenage ace earlier than the top of the January switch window as a result of he may very well be an thrilling addition to the group and a dream signing for Jota.
Why Lennon Miller can be a dream signing for Jota
As aforementioned, the Portuguese attacker has had a tough time of it of late in France, failing to provide a lot high quality within the last third in Ligue 1, however is a participant with the potential to attain objectives frequently when he’s at his greatest.
Celtic may assist him to get again on monitor in entrance of aim by placing him in a group that is filled with inventive gamers who can provide him the ball in areas the place he can thrive on the high finish of the pitch.
Miller’s kind for Motherwell within the Premiership this season suggests that he’s a participant who may assist Jota by persistently creating high-quality alternatives for the winger.
The 18-year-old star, who has been described as “ridiculous” by James McFadden, has created eight ‘big chances’ and made 1.8 key passes per match throughout 19 appearances within the Premiership.
In the meantime, no central midfielder in the Celtic squad has created greater than seven ‘massive probabilities’, which means that Miller may arrive as essentially the most inventive midfield expertise at Parkhead, making him a dream for a goalscorer like Jota by persistently placing him in positions to seek out the again of the web.
|
24/25 Premiership |
Lennon Miller |
|---|---|
|
Appearances |
19 |
|
Targets |
2 |
|
Assists |
6 |
|
Tackles + interceptions per recreation |
3.4 |
|
Ball recoveries per recreation |
6.6 |
|
Floor duel success charge |
60% |
As you possibly can see within the desk above, the Scottish maestro additionally presents high quality out of possession, successful the vast majority of his bodily battles on the bottom while making quite a few defensive interventions every match.
These statistics counsel that the teenage ace is a well-rounded midfielder who may are available in as a terrific signing for Celtic within the short-term and the long-term, on account of his age, while being a dream for Jota together with his inventive passing in the course of the park.
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