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JOT TO BE GOING
Celtic hero Jota at career crossroads as star ‘eyed in January loan’ with Rennes exit on cards 5 months after £6.5m move
There have been wild rumours circulating over a shock return to Parkhead
EX-CELTIC winger Jota looks set to be on the move again this month, with one of his former suitors reportedly keen on landing his signature.
He only joined Rennes in a deal worth £6.5million in August but has endured another nightmare spell this time in France - after his torrid time in Saudi Arabia.
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Jota, 25, was a marquee signing for the Ligue 1 side after breaking Al-Ittihad's transfer record at the time when they spent £25million to bring him to the Middle East.
But despite the mammoth and rather surprising fee, Jota quickly found himself out of favour at the then Saudi champions and was dumped from their league squad soon after his move.
He was left out out of Nuno Espirito Santo's selection for the Pro League after just SIX games to make way for ex-Real Betis defender Luiz Felipe who was signed on deadline day and took the last spot assigned to a foreign player.
Jota was reduced to cup appearances from then on and was linked with moves away in January before retaining his place after the winter registration took place, with a new boss - Marcel Gallardo - at the helm.
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However, things didn't get much better for him in Saudi despite a flurry of appearances under Gallardo as the manager was later axed and his nightmare continued under his THIRD gaffer Laurent Blanc.
Jota eventually called it a day at the Tigers in the summer and was linked with several clubs across Europe - before Rennes launched a bid and won the race.
But he is still struggling for game time and finds himself on the hunt for a new club after being told he is free to leave with just three starts under his belt this season.
Rumours surrounding a stunning return to Celtic have been swirling in recent weeks with Brendan Rodgers in the market for a new winger with Luis Palma's future unclear and James Forrest out injured for the foreseeable.
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But another club has seemingly jumped to the front of the queue to sign Jota - and it's a club who were previously eyeing him up.
Reports from Turkey suggest Besiktas are keen to sign the out-of-favour wide-man on a loan deal until the end of the season.
Karim Benzema fires Jota's Al-Ittihad to third straight win with three goals in a row
Turkish outlet Ortacizgi claim the Super Lig outfit are keen to enter talks with Rennes over a short-term switch, with club chiefs looking to add more firepower to interim gaffer Serdar Topraktep's frontline before the end of the window.
There was a talk of a move to Besiktas when Giovanni van Bronckorst was in charge before Rennes swooped in.
The Dutchman watched the Jota become a fan favourite with the other half of Glasgow under Ange Postecoglou and the Portuguese star even scored against his Rangers side during his stint at Ibrox.
But he didn't end up in Istanbul despite serious speculation over a move.
However, he could end up in Turkey after all - but under a new gaffer, with Topraktepe in the hot-seat for now.
Keep up to date with ALL the latest news and transfers at the Scottish Sun football page