Jota demands Al Ittihad transfer release as ex Celtic hero's preferred destination revealed

Brassed off Jota has reportedly 'demanded' that Al Ittihad rip up his contract two years early after being bombed out AGAIN.

The former Celtic hero has ramped up his efforts to end his Saudi nightmare after a miserable 12 months in the Pro League. Jota spent six months in the abyss last year after bizarrely being cut from Ittihad's league squad, just weeks after his £25million switch from Parkhead.

Jota was handed a reprieve when Marcelo Gallardo replaced Nuno Espirito Santo after a miserable run of results but the Argentine was axed last month after failing to revive the team who finished fifth.

Former France coach Laurent Blanc has since taken over the reins at the 2022-23 league winners and has splashed out almost £100m, landing marquee signings Moussa Diaby and Houssem Aouar. That's pushed Jota even further down the pecking order and according to Al-Jazeera, the Portuguese winger has now held crunch talks with the club as he attempts to cut ties.

It's said that Jota has rejected the chance to move to an unnamed Saudi rival and that the 25-year-old has set his heart on returning to Europe. Jota was banished from first-team training last week and excluded from the last friendly match against Al-Qadisiyah despite being fit. The Hoops Treble-winner knows he risks another six months out of football unless he can seal an exit before the European transfer window closes next week.