Opinion: Sensible Celtic transfer strategy could pay off once more

It seems that Celtic are close to completing a deal that would see Jota joins the Hoops on a permanent basis.

Scotsman football reporter Barry Anderson recently Tweeted that the Hoops are set to sign the player on a £6.3m transfer. 

The transfer might not be completed yet, but that is good news that the Hoops are looking to get a deal done.

What is interesting is that if Jota signs for the Hoops he will be the second high-profile deal that the Bhoys have made which is a from a initial loan deal with an option to buy.

Celtic first used this method a few years ago with the signing of Odsonne Edouard from PSG.

He originally joined the Hoops on a season-long loan, then signed on a permanent deal for £9m in 2018.

That seems to be a sensible transfer strategy for Celtic to embark on, and it is interesting to see that the Hoops have done it under two different managers, Brendan Rodgers, and Ange Postecoglou.

Using a loan to buy option in a transfer is sensible as if the loan move doesn’t work out, the player and the club can part ways at the end of the season. On the other hand, if it does work out like it did with Edouard and it has with Jota, then there is the chance of getting a deal done on a permanent basis.

Of course, there is currently another Celtic player on loan at the club with a similar situation to Jota in Cameron Carter-Vickers, whose loan move to the Hoops from Spurs also included a ‘to buy’ option.

Carter-Vickers has been as influential at Celtic this season as Jota has, or maybe even more so, and the Hoops will hope to get a deal done for the centre-back soon.

If Carter-Vickers does sign for the Bhoys, then he will be yet another example of the loan to buy option working for the club.

Celtic should be looking