This will be a long summer of speculation should Celtic not get the deals for Jota and Cameron Carter-Vickers wrapped up early won’t it?
With two of the most in form Celtic players being on loan, the fans are desperate for the club to make them permanent additions to the squad.
But how much to the players want it?
A lot, according to John Hartson.
Speaking on The Go Radio Football Show, Hartson said, “If they’ve got the decision of, ‘Do you want to come and play for Celtic?‘ and if it goes down to a choice, I would imagine Carter Vickers would be desperate to stay at Celtic.
“I would imagine that Jota, even though he might have offers through his agent and everything else who is working for him.
“Still very young, great player, Benfica on loan, I still think if other clubs come in, I think we have that benefit, Celtic, of the coming off a fantastic season.
“The crowd love them. The adulation they get around the city. They can play in a great environment.
“They’re going to go into the Champions League Football next season. That’s a massive pull.
“So it might pull down some money and what Benfica will want. I thought it was £6 million down and Celtic have first refusal on the signing. I might be wrong.
“I think that Carter Vickers would be around about the nine to 10 million mark.
“But I think, if all of a sudden it comes down to the agent saying, ‘This one wants you that one wants you. What do you want to do?’, the players themselves will go, ‘I’d love to stay here at Celtic’ on the back of a season that the team are having.”
I certainly hope big John has this right. I hope his assertion comes from some kind of insider knowledge of the psyche of the two players.
Because if Celtic do manage to tie them up on longer term deals, this team under Ange will be unstoppable for years to come.