Should Celtic re-sign Tierney & Jota? Let’s weigh up the scales!
As the January transfer window approaches, this is the burning question sparking debate amongst Celtic fans – should Celtic re-sign Tierney & Jota?
First up, KT63 Tierney.
3 potential drawbacks
1. Injury prone
This is the biggest setback of Tierney – injuries. Tierney is now a 30 game per season player, and he cannot play 2 full games in a week. If Tierney could play 50 games a season, then he would Arsenal captain, or he would be at Real Madrid (who he was linked with). We also had James McCarthy recently who had a troubled injury record & that turned out to be a disaster.
2. High-wage
Celtic have done well financially through the Champions League money & sell-on of players in recent seasons, so we are a rich club, but we certainly do not have money to burn like the elite English, German, and Spanish clubs. Given Tierney’s high-profile, he will command a high wage, and it has to be wondered if this would be better deployed strengthening more diversely (we know that with the type of signings we make, there is a number of them don’t work out).
3. Chasing past feelings
Sometimes a return to Celtic does not work out well. Classic examples are Charlie Nicholas, Andy Walker & Shaun Maloney, where this turned out to be mainly nostalgia. However, the classic counter-argument to this is Charlie Mulgrew, who was an integral part of the squad who won League Titles and excelled in Europe reaching the last 16 of the Champions League with a famous assist against Barcelona. This type of signing is also very common on the continent, with for example Fernando Torres returning to Atletico Madrid at the end of his career & being a crucial senior player, with Mats Hummels at Borussia Dortmund being another.
3 potential pros
1. Extremely high-quality player
Tierney is a genuine world class player who is in his prime at age 27 – it is virtually impossible for Celtic to get a player of that calibre at that age. Anyone who watched Tierney (particularly live at the ground) knows how good he is – electric pace, tenacious defensively, extremely clever reading the game & covering, velvet first-touch & sharp passing, intelligent runs in the final third, fantastic crosser with a final ball, and a rocket of a shot if he gets a chance. To have a player of this calibre in the squad is a massive boost.
2. Celtic homegrown player
We have seen Daniel Kelly, Ben Doak, Liam Morrison, Karamoko Dembele, and Rocco Vata all leave the club in recent times. We could be about to see Daniel Cummings being the next one to do this. We do however need a nucleus of homegrown players both for the UEFA Co-efficient & the squad balance, and Tierney would fulfil this.
3. Atmosphere enhancement
Tierney has outstanding natural charisma. When the fans turn up at the stadium & see Tierney everyone just gets a natural buzz & a lift. It is extremely important for the atmosphere to have leaders like this at the club.
KT63 - Conclusion
You have probably already guessed – the answer is yes – bring Tierney home if it is financially possible. A 2 year contract with basic wage of £10k per week, increased to £30k if he plays the game in the week, could hopefully be enough to get a deal done.
Second up, Jota.
3 potential drawbacks
1. Looks like he has put on weight
It is obviously hard to know for sure, but it looks like Jota has been put on weight during his time in Saudi Arabia & in France. He doesn’t look physically to be the same specimen that he was in his first tenure.
2. Now extremely wealthy & perhaps no longer a hungry tiger
The first time around Jota was a young lion who was extremely hungry to prove himself, make his name, & earn his money in the game. You wonder if he still has that same Zorro-esque drive inside of him required to be successful.
3. Failed at his last 2 clubs
It does seem to be a coincidence now that he has failed at both Al Ittihad & Rennes, with 3/4 mangers having a good look at him and not fancying him. There is obviously a % chance that he will do so again, and has just lost that cutting edge to be a top level player after his big-money to Saudi Arabia.
3 potential pros
1. A magician
The level of skill in Jota is sublime. His first touch, dribbling ability, passing, crossing, runs, and finishing, all with both feet, are of an elite level. Elite level skill like that in the squad is so elusive to find & a huge asset in the squad.
2. Settles well in Glasgow
Some people can’t settle in Glasgow; Jota loves it! He relishes the disco-lights & the ferocity of the Celtic Park Colosseum, and enjoys the hustle-and-bustle of the Scottish lifestyle, as well as flourishes with the celebrity status & adulation of being a Celtic player. ‘Jota on the wing’ is folklore, & perhaps it is just his destiny for him to come 'home'...
3. Perfect manager for him in Brendan Rodgers
When you see how Rodgers has developed Kuhn, as well as how he has developed Forrest, Sinclair, Roberts, Rogic etc in the past, Rodgers is the perfect manager to get the best out of Jota. If anyone can get Jota playing at his best again it’s Rodgers. At 26 he could also just be coming into some of his best years.
Conclusion - ‘Jota on the wing’
Again, for Jota, the answer is ‘yes’, if, and it is a big if, the right deal can be agreed with Rennes. I think Jota would need an 18 month loan if he were to come back – so that he could perhaps be an impact sub in the first 16 (if not the first 11) from now until the end of the season, then look to get in early at pre-season & work his socks off with Rodgers and the coaching staff to get back to his best. If there is a 50-75% wage contribution & 18 month loan deal to be reached, that could perhaps be a great deal.
The short answer to both Tierney & Jota is, yes, IF, on the condition that the terms of the deals are right. Tierney & Jota back in the squad would give some serious star power to the Celtic, but, and it is a big but, could both players reach the physical levels they had in the past which is required to be successful, and, could they accept a contract reflective of the slight risk involved in taking them on? If they could on both counts, then that would majorly strengthen the squad with 2 genuine world-class players in their primes at 26 & 27!