Value's soared 1,886%: Celtic lost "exciting" gem who'd have been Jota 2.0
da blaze casino： Celtic failed to extend their lead at the top of the Scottish Premiership when they were beaten 1-0 by St. Johnstone away from home on Sunday.
da dobrowin： The Hoops had the chance to move 16 points clear at the top of the division after their city rivals Rangers had been beaten 2-0 on Saturday by Hibernian, but failed to pick up a singe point of their own a day later.
Celtic had 26 shots on goal, nine of which were on target, and did not do enough to beat Andrew Fisher, who saved all nine of those efforts on target, between the sticks for the Saints.
The likes of Nicolas Kuhn, who was substituted at half-time in the match, Daizen Maeda, and Jota all ended the game without helping the team to find the back of the net.
It was an off-colour performance from Jota on the left wing as he played 76 minutes without scoring a goal or creating a ‘big chance’ for his teammates, although he did register a shot on target and two key passes.
Why Jota has been a great signing for Celtic
The Hoops swooped to sign the Portuguese forward on a permanent deal from Rennes in the recent January transfer window for a reported fee of £8m, 18 months on from his £25m move from Parkhead to Al Ittihad.
His performance against St. Johnstone was not reflective of his form since making that return to Glasgow from France at the start of the year, though, as he has been a great signing for Brendan Rodgers so far.
The 26-year-old talent has scored four goals, created three ‘big chances’, and assisted two goals in six starts and three substitute appearances in the Premiership since his £8m switch, which shows that he has been incredibly productive in the final third for the Scottish giants.
24/25 Premiership
Jota (per 90)
Percentile rank vs wingers
Goals
0.71
Top 4%
xG
0.52
Top 4%
xG on target
0.76
Top 1%
Shots on target
1.60
Top 1%
Assists
0.32
Top 16%
Chances created
2.13
Top 20%
Stats via FotMob
As you can see in the table above, his statistics also place him very highly among his positional peers in the Premiership, as he has been one of the most frequent scorers and creators in the division per 90.
These statistics also show that he is well on his way to replicating the kind of form that earned him his £25m move to Saudi Arabia in 2023 in the first place.
As you can see in the graphic above, Jota consistently provided a threat as both a scorer and a creator of goals in the Premiership during the 2021/22 and 2022/23 campaigns under Ange Postecoglou earlier in his Celtic career.
Whilst the Hoops managed to bring the former Benfica man back to the club in January, the Bhoys did lose a talent last summer who could have become Jota 2.0 at Parkhead in Rocco Vata.
Why Rocco Vata deserved more chances at Celtic
The Irish youngster came up through the academy system at Parkhead and only made six appearances in the first-team before he left the club at the end of his contract last summer to sign for Watford.
After four appearances in the Premiership under Postecoglou in the 2022/23 campaign, Vata was not given many chances to impress at senior level by Rodgers last season.
The teenage sensation made two appearances, one in the Premiership and one in the SFA Cup, and played 29 minutes of football in the first-team, scoring against Buckie Thistle in his 26 minutes of cup action.
Vata, who was valued at £43k by Transfermarkt at the end of his Celtic career, scored 12 goals in 15 Lowland League matches in the 2023/24 campaign and scored in his only appearance that lasted more than three minutes for the first-team, but that was not enough to earn him any more outings for Rodgers.
The Ireland international took his chances, limited as they were, when they came and excelled as a goalscorer at youth level, yet still did not get more than three minutes of Premiership football in the entire season, leading to his move to Watford last summer.
Rocco Vata's soaring market value
At the time of writing (07/04/2025), Vata is currently valued at £854k by Transfermarkt and this means that his value has soared by a whopping 1,886% in the 2024/25 campaign from the £43k he was rated at by the end of his time in Glasgow.
His market value has skyrocketed as a result of his exposure to regular first-team football with Watford in the English Championship, as the Hornets have been willing to offer him the senior minutes that his promise at Celtic suggested that he deserved.
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The 19-year-old talent has racked up 31 first-team appearances and 1,282 minutes of action in all competitions so far this season, including 27 outings in the Championship, after his 29 minutes of football for the Hoops this term.
Vata, whose screamer against Premier League side Fulham in the FA Cup is shown above, has shown that he has what it takes to play regular football at senior level, and that he can contribute at the top end of the pitch.
Talent scout Jacek Kulig claimed that the Irish whiz, who has been playing on the left wing of late for Watford, had an “exciting” future ahead of him during his time at Parkhead, and his potential is finally starting to shine through.
24/25 Championship
Rocco Vata
Appearances
27
Starts
10
xG
2.35
Goals
3
Big chances created
4
Assists
3
Stats via Sofascore
As you can see in the table above, Vata has been directly involved in six goals in ten starts in the second tier for Watford so far this season, which shows that he is well on the path to delivering goals and assists on a regular basis.
His return of 23 goals in 34 matches for Celtic’s B team showed that he had the potential to be a Jota-esque figure on the wing, by finding the back of the net on a regular basis, whilst he has now added creativity to his performances with the Hornets.
The Hoops, therefore, messed up when they failed to keep him at Parkhead last summer because they lost a player who could have developed into their next version of Jota on the wing, with the quality that he displayed at youth level in Glasgow and at Watford this season.
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