Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers was rocked by the exit of one of his star players earlier this month as Portuguese winger Jota completed a move away from Parkhead.
The 24-year-old phenomenon opted to join Saudi Arabian side Al Ittihad, where he will play alongside French internationals Karim Benzema and N'Golo Kanta, in a deal reportedly worth £25m.
However, the Hoops will not see all of that fee as Benfica, who sold him to the Scottish giants last summer, are due to receive £7.5m from their 30% sell-on clause.
£17.5m is still a hefty profit on the £6.5m they paid to sign the exciting winger on a permanent basis in 2022 and it could provide Rodgers with the funds he needs to find a replacement.
Who could replace Jota at Celtic?
The Northern Irish tactician could find Jota's heir by securing a deal to sign Yang Hyun-jun from South Korean side Gangwon FC this summer.
Football Scotland reported earlier this month that the club have agreed to a £2.1m deal to sign the young winger but the K League 1 outfit are pushing to keep their prized asset until January as they battle against relegation to the second tier.
Celtic must now push to bring him in immediately as the potential is there for him to be an exciting replacement for Jota heading into the 2023/24 Scottish Premiership campaign.
Yang's form for Gangwon in 2022 suggests that he could be an excellent addition for Rodgers as the 21-year-old magician impressed in spite of his team's average season.
The South Korean side scored 47 goals in 33 league matches and lost more games (14) than they won (13).
During that time, the South Korea U23 international plundered eight goals – 17% of the club's total – and created six 'big chances' for his teammates, which was rewarded with five assists.
The talented youngster, who was described as "highly creative" by FC Twente philosopher and analyst Joost van der Leij, was able to showcase his attacking quality as a scorer and creator without playing in a successful team.
Now, imagine what he could do as part of a dominant Celtic squad that scored 114 goals and won 32 of their 38 Premiership matches last season. 17% of that goal tally would work out as 19 strikes, which highlights the difference playing in a more productive outfit can make for an attacker.
Jota proved himself to be a consistent performer out wide as he scored 11 goals and provided 11 assists in 26 league starts for the Hoops, with only Kyogo Furuhashi (27) able to boast a better goal return for the club.
Yang, who is three years younger than the Portuguese ace, may not have reached those impressive numbers at the top end of the pitch in his career so far but his form for a struggling Gangwon side in 2022 indicates that he could thrive if given the opportunity to line up as part of a lethal Celtic attack next season.
Therefore, Rodgers could unearth a dream replacement for Jota by getting a deal over the line for the South Korean whiz and helping him to adjust to playing in a thriving team, which could – in turn – improve his output in the final third.
