Tottenham to battle Newcastle for Al-Ittihad winger Jota

Tottenham and Newcastle United have been linked with Al-Ittihad outcast Jota ahead of the January transfer window.

Jota, 24, has barely featured for Saudi outfit Al-Ittihad since making the switch from Celtic in the summer and that is partly down to league rulings in the country. The move to the Middle East quickly soured when he was not included in their squad list due to the Saudi Pro League rules of allowing only eight foreign players, limiting him to ACL and Domestic Cup squads only.

Al-Ittihad are currently undergoing a management change with Marcelo Gallardo set to replace the axed Nuno Espirito Santo. It is believed that Gallardo will allow Jota to leave the club on loan in January, as Tottenham reportedly look to beat Newcastle United to the Portuguese winger’s signature.

Tottenham, and Newcastle keen on Jota

Jota came into prominence after helping Celtic win the treble last season. The Portuguese attacker was sensational for the Hoops, racking up 27 goal contributions in 43 matches. Following his impressive performances, there was a lot of interest in his signature. Despite interest from top European clubs, he decided to join Saudi Pro League champions Al-Ittihad.

However, Jota’s move to Saudi has been nothing short of a nightmare and the winger is keen to leave the club in January amid interest from Spurs and Newcastle. Spurs are looking to bolster their attacking ranks and have made the signing of a winger one of their priorities. Jota is on their radar, with manager Ange Postecoglou keen to reunite with the Portuguese having enjoyed two successful years working with him at Celtic—who are also in the mix to bring back the winger.

Newcastle are also keeping tabs on Jota’s situation at Al-Ittihad. The Magpies search for a new winger in the wake of long-term injuries to Jacob Murphy and Harvey Barnes, while Miguel Almiron sustained a hamstring problem just before the international break. Their absence will leave a huge void in attack and Eddie Howe definitely needs reinforcements.

Jota could be of huge help to Newcastle in their pursuit of achieving Champions League qualification again. And, with Newcastle and Al-Ittihad owned by the PIF, a deal should practically be a smooth process, though, the Premier League is expected to pass a motion soon that will impose a ban on clubs signing players on loan from affiliated sides.

So, this could prevent Eddie Howe’s club from signing Jota on loan. The Toon Army could push to sign Jota on a permanent basis but must battle it out with Spurs and Celtic.