JOTA has been threatened with a shock ban from playing for his new club after Saudi Arabian football authorities demanded Al-Ittihad pay their debts.
The former Celtic star sealed a sensational £25million deal to the Middle East last week after two hugely successful years with the Hoops.
His club have also brought in French superstar Karim Benzema and former Chelsea midfielder N’Golo Kante as their marquee signings for the new season.
But they have been stunned by a demand by the Saudi FA to pay their debts immediately, according to Saudi Arabian newspaper Okaz, or face a ban from fielding their new signings.
Al-Ittihad Club reportedly owe £20million in debts and have been handed a deadline of the start of the King Salman Club Cup competition – an Arab version of the Champions League – on July 27 to prove they are debt-free.
If they fail to do that, they will be hit with a registration ban that would prevent them from including any new signings for the forthcoming competition and the Saudi Professional League.
Portuguese ace Jota is due to make his bow for Al-Ittihad Club in their first game in the group stages later this month against Esperance de Tunis in Taif, with the league campaign due to start later this year.
But that’s now shrouded in doubt unless Al-Ittihad get their finances in order.
Meanwhile, reports out of Ukraine say Celtic are among the favourites to land Brazilian winger Tete.
The 23-year old has revealed he’s quitting current club Shakhtar Donetsk.
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Tete is familiar to new Hoops boss Brendan Rodgers who had him on loan at Leicester in the second half of last season.
The player says he has no intention of returning to Shakthar, saying he doesn’t feel safe in Ukraine amid the ongoing war with Russia.
He said: “I love the club, but I am afraid to go on the pitch during a war.
“No one could have imagined such a scenario. It is hard to believe that the events of the last year and a half really happened.
“Shakhtar became the first serious club in my career and gave me a lot. I will always love this team.
“But I can no longer stay here. I hope the fans understand my point of view.”
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Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
