Jota, or as properly known, 'Jota' Neves Filipe, born 30 March 1999 (aged 25) hails from Portugal. He is a skilled forward, primarily playing as a left winger for Rennes; standing at 5ft 8in tall (1.75m) with a weight of 10st 7lb (67kg). He commands notable presence on the field in his number 16 jersey.
Vouched by Transfermarkt, his current market value hovers around £6.8m (source). Jota is contracted with Rennes till 30 June 2027, with sufficient 2.5 years left to run.
'Jota' Neves Filipe's football journey began in July 2007 when he joined Liga Portugal's Benfica as a trainee. After a remarkable growth period, he made his first-team debut in the 2018-2019 season and grabbed 19 further appearances the next year.
A significant turn of events saw Jota moving from Benfica to Spain's Real Valladolid on loan in October 2020. There he got an opportunity to appear in 17 league matches and scored his first goal.
No stranger to Celtic, Jota was transferred on loan from Benfica to the Scottish Premiership team, Celtic in August 2021. During the 2021-2022 season, Jota delighted fans by appearing 29 times and netting ten goals. With a continued show of outclassing performances, the 2022-2023 season yielded 33 appearances and 11 goals.
Impressed by Jota's standout performances, Celtic signed him from Benfica in July 2022 for approximately £6.5m. His repertoire of skill brought him to the field 29 times in the 2021-2022 season and a further 33 times in the 2022-2023 season, demonstrating his consistency while contributing ten and eleven goals respectively in each season.
However, Celtic's run with Jota ended in July 2023 when he transferred to Al-Ittihad in the Saudi Arabian Professional League for a substantial fee of about £25m. There he continued his admirable run with 16 appearances and four goals in the 2023-2024 season.
A change in landscapes brought Jota to Rennes in the French Ligue 1 in August 2024 at a cost of around £6.8m. Currently, in the 2024-2025 season, Jota has made nine appearances and has already scored a goal.
Apart from league matches, Jota also participated in the Coupe de France 2024-2025 season for Rennes, making an appearance as a substitute. Football aficionados can undoubtedly agree that the journey of 'Jota' Neves Filipe is a compelling saga of relentless growth and unyielding perseverance.
