Jota’s move to the Middle East was completed earlier this week. The Portuguese joined Saudi Arabian champions Al-Ittihad on a three-year deal from the Hoops.
Money was the key reason behind the move for Jota. Al-Ittihad could offer numbers Celtic simply couldn’t.
Whilst it is hugely disappointing that one team can easily take away another’s best players simply because they can offer them higher wages, there could be a way to stop it.
That is according to Mohammed Hamdi, a former chief executive at ADO Den Haag who is an expert in Middle Eastern football.
He believes that the best way for Celtic to counter what has just happened in the future is to go into bed with a Saudi club.
Hamdi said (Glasgow Times):
“I would advise a club like Celtic in Scotland to try to go in to a partnership with a team in Saudi Arabia. They shouldn’t try to compete with them financially because if they do that they will lose. The best thing they can do is to make the best of the situation and get involved with them.
“For example, they could have an arrangement to bring the best young players from a Saudi Arabian club over to the Celtic youth department and try to develop them. And vice versa. They could do the same with first team players. They could look to do business and agree sponsorships on the back of that.”
It is extremely tough for Celtic to compete with teams who have such financial advantage over them.
This is just one method that could be used to stem it, although no matter how close the Hoops are with a Saudi team, players will always likely pick the latter down to the financial side of things.
Given the human rights concerns in Saudi Arabia, many supporters would find any link with a Saudi team linked to the country’s leadership abhorrent.
