Ange Postecoglou admits he’s optimistic about Celtic’s chances of keeping hold of Jota beyond next summer while he plots another raid on the J League.
The Hoops gaffer joked his board should stick some cash away for the £6.5m buy out clause to land Jota on a permanent deal from Benfica.
He’s also looking to bring in reinforcements in January and is understood to be on the trail of his former Yokaham F Marinos star man Daizen Maeda.
The Japanese ace has scored 18 goals in 30 games for Postecoglou’s old club this season and the Parkhead boss has been tracking him since arriving in Glasgow in the summer.
Maeda is viewed as one of the top talents in the Far East and Celts would love him to follow in the footsteps of fans’ favourite Kyogo Furuhashi – who has been a smash hit following his £4.5m move from Vissel Kobe.
Postecoglou also admitted securing Jota in the long term is a decision for down the line but the Portuguese attacker is relishing life in Scotland.
The 22-year-old stole the show in Tuesday’s Europa League win against Ferencvaros with punters already convinced Celtic should be stumping up to make him a permanent fixture at Parkhead.
Postecoglou said: “I don’t know if it works that way, if that’s how they (board) do things – if I’d need to tell them to put some money aside.
“We’ll always make decisions that are in the best interests of the football club and also the player.
“Jota is just starting his career but he’s already fallen in love with the club.
“He loves the environment here and the supporters. Who wouldn’t?
“Who wouldn’t want to play for a football club where you get 60,000 cheering you on. The crowd is something special.
“Let’s just let him enjoy it. Those kind of decisions will come in due course.
“From our perspective, I know everyone here is the same, we’ll do what’s best for the football club moving forward and that will be in consultation with the player’s wishes.”
Postecoglou remained tight-lipped on the link with Maeda but admitted he is looking to tool up after the New Year.
The Aussie is planning to go back to the Japan market – but will cast his net all over the globe.
Postecoglou said: “I said a couple of weeks ago that we are now working towards January and we’ll definitely need to bolster the squad then. I’ve got now doubt about that.
“It will be nothing major but we’ll need to bring in a couple of players at least.
“We’re not going to be in any rush about that mainly for two reasons.
“One is that, we’ve just brought in 12 players and there are four or five others who are literally just beginning their Celtic careers having been at this club.
“I want to see how all these players settle in and see what gaps we really have because the assessment we make now might be different in two months’ time.
“So we’re not going to be rushing into any business too early.
“Secondly, I’m not going to limit ourselves. Obviously I know the Japanese league really well and I know Japanese players.
“So I guess that’s where I have an advantage over others but we’re not going to limit ourselves to one part of the world.
“For us at the moment, the pleasing thing is that from the outside people have seen players come here and (they see) that we’re developing them and they are playing good football.
“That makes us an attractive destination. I’m not going to lock ourselves into one or two targets this early on.”
Celtic face St Johnstone today on the back of three wins on the spin and Postecoglou wants to keep the foot down.
The Hoops gaffer – who has Josip Juranovic and James McCarthy available after injuries – said: “I was always confident that once the team was settled and we got some of the players back whom we needed to get back that I could start building.
“We’ve begun that process now and, with the games coming thick and fast, players are believing in what we’re doing and we have more competition for places.
“All of those things are helping us to move forward step by step.
“I can neither confirm or deny.
“There is no doubt the Japanese league is one I know well, I have an advantage there.
“Obviously I know Deizen well, I was the one who brought him to Yokahama F Marinos but I can definitely confirm we are not in advance talks with anyone to sign anyone at the moment.”
