The Celtic board have backed manager Brendan Rodgers in both transfer windows throughout the season so far to bolster his playing squad at Parkhead.
He was brought in to replace Australian manager Ange Postecoglou last summer, after he moved down south to the Premier League, and made nine new signings ahead of the 2023/24 campaign.
Nat Phillips, Gustaf Lagerbielke, Hyeok-kyu Kwon, Hyun-jun Yang, Luis Palma, Odin Thiago Holm, Marco Tilio, Maik Nawrocki, and Paulo Bernardo all came through the door during the summer.
These signings failed to start the season well, however, as Celtic were knocked out of the League Cup by Kilmarnock in August and dumped out of Europe as they finished bottom of their Champions League group during the first half of the campaign.
Nicolas Kuhn was then snapped up from Austrian side Rapid Wien on a permanent deal in January, before Adam Idah arrived on loan from Norwich City on deadline day at the start of last month.
The Hoops boss is now already eyeing up another player to add to his group at the end of the season, as the club are reportedly keen on a Portuguese winger, who could be their next Jota – figuratively and literally.
Latest Celtic transfer news
According to HITC, the Scottish giants are among a clutch of clubs looking at a possible swoop to sign Vitoria Guimaraes forward Jota Silva this summer.
Rodgers is far from the only head coach keeping an eye on the Liga Portugal star as a number of Premier League and Championship teams are also showing an interest in him.
Southampton and Leicester City, who are currently competing to secure promotion to the top-flight, have been keeping tabs on the 24-year-old whiz.
Meanwhile, Premier League sides Bournemouth, Brentford, Wolverhampton Wanderers, and Brighton & Hove Albion have also been monitoring his progress with Vitoria.
However, the report does not reveal whether or not any of the aforementioned clubs, including Celtic, are prepared to go in with a firm offer to acquire his services at this moment in time.
HITC also does not mention how much Vitoria would demand from any of the interested teams to cash in on their "star" – as per journalist Graeme Bailey – forward.
Therefore, whilst Rodgers is eyeing up the young attacker, it remains to be seen whether or not a deal for Jota Silva is a viable one for the Glasgow-based outfit at this moment in time.
If the Hoops can strike a deal to sign the Portugal international, though, then they could repeat the masterclass they played with the signing of his compatriot and namesake Jota back in 2021.
Celtic's Jota masterclass
Former Celtic boss Postecoglou swooped to sign the winger on loan from Benfica ahead of the 2021/22 campaign, and he hit the ground running at Parkhead with electric performances on the flank.
Jota racked up ten goals and ten assists in 29 appearances in the Scottish Premiership during his first season at the club, along with two goals and two assists in five Europa League outings.
In total, the young whiz produced 13 goals and 14 assists in 40 matches for the Hoops in all competitions, which convinced them to trigger their option to buy him for £6.5m.
Appearances
33
Goals
11
Assists
11
Big chances created
13
Key passes per game
1.9
As you can see in the table above, the Portuguese wizard continued his fine form in front of goal over to the 2022/23 campaign after Celtic snapped him up on a permanent deal.
Jota ended the season with a return of 15 goals and 12 assists in 43 games in all competitions for the Scottish giants, which took his tally to 28 goals and 26 assists in 83 outings for Postecoglou's team over his two years at the club.
His terrific displays on the wing in Scotland convinced Saudi Pro League side Al Ittihad to swoop in to complete a staggering £25m deal for the magician, of which £7.5m went to Benfica – thanks to their sell-on clause as part of the move that sent him to Parkhead in 2022.
This shows that Celtic played a masterclass with the signing of Jota from the Portuguese league as they had a superb player on the pitch who went on to make them a mouth-watering amount of money.
Why Celtic could repeat their masterclass with Jota Silva
The Hoops could now repeat that masterclass by returning to Liga Portugal to sign another exciting winger who could catch the eye in Glasgow – Jota Silva.
He has been in impressive form for Vitoria in his breakthrough season in the top-flight of football in his home country, and earned a debut for Portugal against Sweden this week.
Jota Silva has showcased his quality as a scorer and a creator of goals throughout the 2023/24 campaign so far, with a return of 13 goals and seven assists in 32 matches in all competitions.
This has come after the young forward, who can play on either flank, produced four goals and four assists in 40 outings in all competitions last season for Vitoria.
So far this season, the 24-year-old phenomenon has plundered nine goals and five assists, to go along with six 'big chances' created, in 25 Liga Portugal clashes.
Appearances
25
33
Goals
9
11
Goals per game
0.36
0.33
Assists
5
11
Assists per game
0.20
0.33
Dribbles completed per game
1.2
1.5
As you can see in the table above, Jota Silva is similar to the former Celtic star in the sense that they both score goals at a similar rate, both love to dribble past opponents to push their respective teams up the pitch, and can both create for others.
Like the current Al Ittihad whiz, the Vitoria maestro is also a right-footed forward who can be deployed out on the right or the left flank, and still cause chaos on either side.
Therefore, Rodgers could repeat the club's Jota masterclass by swooping for Jota Silva this summer, as the 5 foot 10 gem could be another Liga Portugal starlet who goes on to thrive in Scottish football.
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The current interest from Premier League sides also suggests that there could be scope for the Hoops to sell him on for a profit, like they did with Jota, further down the line if he excels in Glasgow.
