Why Tottenham should make a move for Ange-favourite Jota

 

In July, Celtic made the decision to cash in on winger Jota. A £25m offer from Saudi side Al Ittihad was too hard to turn down even as the Portuguese winger established himself as a key man for the Scottish side under Ange Postecoglou. There were even suggestions that Jota would join the Australian at Tottenham. He did, after all, end the 2022/23 campaign with 11 goals and 11 assists to his name, the only player to achieve a double-double in Scotland's top tier last term. 

 

And yet, it was Al Ittihad who lured Jota away from Glasgow with the expectation he'd become a key man in Saudi Arabia. A short stint, though, has very much been 'Instagram vs Reality'. Jota has made just five appearances for Al Ittihad, all from the bench, and was left out of their Saudi Pro League squad. It's been reported that talks are taking place between player and club to cancel his contract so he can return to Europe as a free agent. 

 

Unsurprisingly, Spurs have been linked with a move for Jota once more as the look to bring in another quick touchline-hogging winger in the same mould as Brennan Johnson. Given his Scottish Premiership numbers, if a deal is there to be done that would see Jota and Postecoglou once more, then the north London side should certainly take it. 

 

Postecoglou has an abundance of wingers to call upon, though Ivan Perisic's season-ending ACL injury has limited his options in the final third. Jota would certainly fill a gap within the squad. Dejan Kulusevski isn't the quickest, while Son Heung-Min is now cosidered a central striker rather than a wideman. Manor Solomon, meanwhile, is more of a squad player than a first team regular. Johnson has the pace to put defences on the backfoot but he can't be solely relied upon as the only speedy wide forward in the squad. 

 

As noted by his second season with Celtic, Jota ticks all the boxes as the direct winger required to help stretch backlines. Indeed, he chipped in with averages 3.3 shots per 90, 2.5 key passes per 90 and two successful dribbles per 90. While transferring his form from the Scottish Premiership to the Premier League would be easier said than done, Jota would be working under a manager familiar with his abilities, and this would ease his transition to English football. 

 

Postecoglou has also successfully implemented a similar gameplan from Celtic to Spurs, using inverted wing-backs to aid in the build up play and ensure midfield superiority when two of the three central midfielders push forward to support the offensive. As such, Postecoglou needs nippy wingers to help stretch defences, and Jota would be a great fit. He's already a player well versed in the Australian's demands, which would stand him in excellent stead were he to leave Saudi Arabia earlier than many expected when he made the move to the Middle East earlier this year. 

 

 

Able to play on either flank, too, Jota's versatility on the frontline would afford Postecoglou ample options on the wings, meaning he could tailor his attackers appropriately depending on the opposition. If Spurs were up against side that were sitting deep, then Jota has the trickery to open up space in the final third, and can pry apart defences with his vision. 

 

What's more, Jota is a hard worker off the ball. One key improvement under Postecoglou is that the Spurs players win possession more frequently than they did under Jose Mourinho or Antonio Conte. Only Manchester United (56) have won possession in the attacking third more times than Tottenham (50) in the Premier League this season. During his two years with Celtic, Jota did so 35 times, the ninth most in the Scottish Premiership as the former Benfica man worked tirelessly to help ease pressure on the Bhoys goal, and open up goalscoring chances in the final third. 

 

Even if Jota isn't available on a free transfer anytime soon and Al Ittihad instead elect to retain his services to recoup some money at the turn of the year, he is a player Spurs should be in the market for. That they didn't make a move for Jota once it was confirmed Postecoglou would take over at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium was a shock in itself, yet with Spurs needing a new winger in the wake of Perisic's season-ending knee injury, the 24-year-old would be a fine addition to the north London side.

Why Tottenham should make a move for Ange-favourite Jota