Jota breaks transfer exit silence as Celtic hero issues bullish response to Ittihad switch farce

Jota has broken his silence on his uncertain Saudi future with a bold statement of intent.

The former Celtic star has been at the centre of controversy at Pro League side Al-Ittihad after he made the £25million switch from Glasgow last month. Reports suggested Jota could be shipped out of the club to make way for more high-profile recruits from across the globe, but the 24-year-old responded by scoring his first goal for the champions and celebrated wildly.

Now the Portuguese has put his critics firmly in his crosshairs, after Ittihad boss Nuno Espirito Santo urged patience over his new signings and namechecked Jota as one who is 'important' to the Saudi side. Ironically, the winger netted his first Ittihad goal on 67 minutes against Al-Wedha and has now followed up that striker with a less-than-subliminal message on social media.

He posted to Instagram: "This is not a problem" with a yellow and black heart emoji, sharing a picture of his celebrations on Monday. Atalanta and Steven Gerrard's Al-Ettifaq were two clubs credited with interest in the tricky winger, but it appears Jota is planning to continue to fight for his place in Jeddah.

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