Tottenham Hotspur set to make surprise move for Saudi Pro League star – Reports

Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly interested in snapping up Al-Ittihad forward Jota to strengthen their attacking depth in the winter window.

Spurs, who spent around £210 million to sign nine new players in the summer, are in the midst of an injury problem now. They are likely to be without Ivan Perisic for the rest of the ongoing 2023-24 campaign while also missing Manor Solomon for a long period of time.

According to Football Insider, Tottenham have decided to join the race to lure Jota away from Al-Ittihad next January. They are keen to reunite newly appointed boss Ange Postecoglou with the Portuguese star, both of whom were at Celtic between 2021 and 2023.

Postecoglou, who joined as Spurs' manager ahead of the ongoing season, signed the 24-year-old winger at Celtic on an initial loan from Benfica in 2021. He helped the Portuguese player lift five trophies at Parkhead, including two straight Scottish Premiership titles.

Jota, who registered 28 goals and 26 assists in 83 appearances for Celtic, left the Scottish champions in a £25 million move after permanently joining them in 2022. However, his move to the Saudi Pro League has not worked out with the attacker not even registered.

A right-footed wide operator blessed with flair and dribbling, the Benfica academy product could prove to be a necessary addition to Spurs' ranks. He would pop up as a solid rotational option alongside the likes of Dejan Kulusevski, Bryan Gil and Brennan Johnson.

So far, the Portuguese has made just five appearances for Al-Ittihad.

Tottenham Hotspur attacker Son Heung-min lauds top summer signing James Maddison

Speaking to TNT Sports, Tottenham Hotspur captain Son Heung-min hailed James Maddison due to his off-the-ball work-rate and proven playmaking ability. He said:

"I love him, he does everything. When we're not having good build-ups, he's going back to help a little bit with the defence. He's a fantastic player. Having this guy on our team is something special. He's been amazing."

Maddison, 26, has lately been hailed as one of the best summer signings following his £40 million move to Tottenham from Leicester City. He has registered two goals and five assists in nine games for them so far.

When queried about meeting expectations as a team, Son responded:

"We definitely have a pressure, we are in a big club and obviously we have to get results. The players are young and play with good rhythm. I think it's very important that we feel the pressure but we take responsibility, I think everyone does [that] really well."

Tottenham, who finished eighth in the league standings past season, are currently atop the 2023-24 Premier League table. They are on 20 points from eight matches so far this campaign, yet to lose a single game.