Physical Address
304 North Cardinal St.
Dorchester Center, MA 02124
Celtic still waiting for Jota to return his ACL injury it was initially expected that this would keep him sidelined for up to nine months, putting him on track to return in February.
The Portuguese striker’s absence has been felt at Parkhead as the club’s other wingers have failed to deliver the kind of consistency or quality he can produce.
He has accumulated 33 goals and 28 assists in 99 appearances for Celtic in all competitions, according to Transfermarkt, including four goals and two assists in seven starts in Scottish Premiership last season.
Surprisingly, Hyun-jun Yang, James Forrest, Michelangelo Balikwisha and Sebastian Tounekti failed to provide at least one goal and one assist, with one or two goals or one or two assists each.
Celtic in talks to sign new wingers
So it comes as no surprise to learn that the Scottish Premiership champions are looking to increase their options in the wide areas ahead of the second half of the season.
According to Sky Sports journalist Anthony JosephCeltic have made a £2 million bid to sign Maccabi Netanya winger Jocelin Ta Bi in the January transfer window.
The Hoops are in talks with the Israeli side to agree a deal for the 20-year-old talent, and have now tapped his services with an official offer, despite parting ways with manager Wilfried Nancy this week.
Joseph adds that the Ivorian striker is currently on loan at Hapoel Petah Tikva, another Israeli side, and that they expect to lose the player this month, with his loan deal expected to be cut short so that he can seal a permanent move elsewhere.
However, the Sky Sports journalist does not reveal whether the £2million offer made by Wilfried Nancy’s side will be enough to convince Maccabi Netanya to part ways with him.
Why Ta Bi could be Celtic’s new Jota
After six defeats in eight games under Nancy before his departure, including a League Cup final defeat and a 3-1 loss to Rangers, fans may not be too excited about the signing of a 20-year-old prospect, especially one who is currently injured. two more weeks.
However, Celtic need to focus on the medium to long term, as well as the short term, and Ta Bi is a potential signing that could see the Hoops have their next Jota in the building.
As mentioned above, none of Celtic’s other wing options this season have shown that they have the quality to score and assist goals in equal measure, as Jota has done throughout his two spells at Parkhead.
Ta Bi, who has been described as an “interesting” player by Turkish analyst Harun Gunduz, showed promise in his performances in the Israeli Premier League on loan at Hapoel Petah Tikva.
He has also scored five goals and provided three assists in 27 second division appearances for Hapoel Petah Tikva, according to Transfermarkt, during the 2024/25 campaign.
|
25/26 Israeli PL |
Ta Bi |
|---|---|
|
Appearances |
12 |
|
Goals |
2 |
|
Big chances created |
5 |
|
Key passes per game |
1.3 |
|
Aids |
2 |
|
Successful dribbles per match |
3.2 |
As you can see in the table above, Ta Bi has adapted well to the rise to the top flight this season, with four goals in 12 appearances to date.
These stats show that he can score and create goals in equal measure, although not at an incredible rate yet, while consistently outrunning his marker with successful dribbles, much like Jota.
Ta Bi has more goals and assists than Balikwisha, Tounekti, Yang and Forest at league level, according to WhoScored, suggesting he could make an immediate impact on the team if he could translate his performances into Scottish football.
While his numbers don’t suggest he will be an instant superstar at Glasgow, Jota’s return later this season means he will be able to learn from the Portuguese winger and be his understudy until he is ready to be the main man at Parkhead.
Therefore, Celtic could hit the jackpot by signing this impressive young talent in the medium to long term as their next Jota, although he may not be the most exciting addition with the current campaign in mind, due to his injury, age and inexperience.
