Been awhile since I made a scout report about Portuguese prospects so figured I would do this one to start the discussion for a player that I believe will be in the premier league very soon. Even as a Sporting fan I can recognize talented players from our rivals.
NAME: João Pedro Neves Filipe (Jota)
AGE: 23
POSITION: Winger
HEIGHT: 5'9
NATIONALITY: Portuguese
I am sure the Celtic fans know who this is but I am talking about Jota (23) who is a former Benfica player who officially signed a permanent deal with Celtics for 8M this summer. Jota is part of the same generation of Benfica youth products such as Joao Felix and Ruben Dias. After being unable to break into the Benfica team which is normal for a lot of players from their youth academy like Cancelo or Bernardo Silva and also failing to make a impact at Real Valladolid, Jota was loaned to Celtic last season. What a move that ended up being for him as he finally found his feet and became an instant fan favorite scoring 13 goals while also grabbing 14 assists helping lead Celtic to the title. Jota displayed mouthwatering performances as well as having a great partnership with other host of really talented attacking talent playing their trade at Celtic Park. Celtic most likely had more enticing offers or even the chance to stay at Benfica but he found his home in Scotland where he has really been able to enjoy his football.
PLAYSTYLE:
- Jota is a very skillful winger who primarily likes to operate on the left. Jota like many Portuguese players is very silky on the ball using deceptive body feints and step over to get passed his man. Comes off like a showboat at times especially at youth level but at Celtic has really been able to add a end product to his play thanks to their progressive style of play. Jota enjoys cutting in a lot and is quite a good passer and crosser of the ball. His movement with the ball at times reminds me of Joao Felix and you can tell they were brought up together.
STRENGHTS:
Dribbling, Passing, Crossing, anticipation, creative
WEAKNESSES:
Shooting (despite his 13 goals last season this is a area that needs work), speed (not the fastest for a winger but his skill on the ball makes him deceptive), heading, Showboating (sometimes he is a bit too flashy).
POTENTIAL TRANSFERS AND VALUATION ?
Due to playing in Scotland and the exposure of the SPFL to the EPL I have no doubt that scouts will be looking at him if he performs at a similar level next season. Particularly with the possibility of champions league exposure against a broader audience. I could easily see Jota at a trampoline club like Wolves where he would fit their philosophy of buying Portuguese talent before earning his way into a bigger club. Due to Jota playing in Celtic I can see him being poached for 30M which I believe would be a record sale for Celtics if I am not mistaken. Jota is only 23 and is starting to hit his stride at the right time to garnish a big money move in the near future.
SCOUTING VIDEOS:
Below will be a couple of videos that all of us internet scouts love to watch!
AS ALWAYS IF YOU ENJOY THESE PLAYER PROFILES LET ME KNOW AND I WILL KEEP THEM COMING!
NAME: João Pedro Neves Filipe (Jota)
AGE: 23
POSITION: Winger
HEIGHT: 5'9
NATIONALITY: Portuguese
I am sure the Celtic fans know who this is but I am talking about Jota (23) who is a former Benfica player who officially signed a permanent deal with Celtics for 8M this summer. Jota is part of the same generation of Benfica youth products such as Joao Felix and Ruben Dias. After being unable to break into the Benfica team which is normal for a lot of players from their youth academy like Cancelo or Bernardo Silva and also failing to make a impact at Real Valladolid, Jota was loaned to Celtic last season. What a move that ended up being for him as he finally found his feet and became an instant fan favorite scoring 13 goals while also grabbing 14 assists helping lead Celtic to the title. Jota displayed mouthwatering performances as well as having a great partnership with other host of really talented attacking talent playing their trade at Celtic Park. Celtic most likely had more enticing offers or even the chance to stay at Benfica but he found his home in Scotland where he has really been able to enjoy his football.
PLAYSTYLE:
- Jota is a very skillful winger who primarily likes to operate on the left. Jota like many Portuguese players is very silky on the ball using deceptive body feints and step over to get passed his man. Comes off like a showboat at times especially at youth level but at Celtic has really been able to add a end product to his play thanks to their progressive style of play. Jota enjoys cutting in a lot and is quite a good passer and crosser of the ball. His movement with the ball at times reminds me of Joao Felix and you can tell they were brought up together.
STRENGHTS:
Dribbling, Passing, Crossing, anticipation, creative
WEAKNESSES:
Shooting (despite his 13 goals last season this is a area that needs work), speed (not the fastest for a winger but his skill on the ball makes him deceptive), heading, Showboating (sometimes he is a bit too flashy).
POTENTIAL TRANSFERS AND VALUATION ?
Due to playing in Scotland and the exposure of the SPFL to the EPL I have no doubt that scouts will be looking at him if he performs at a similar level next season. Particularly with the possibility of champions league exposure against a broader audience. I could easily see Jota at a trampoline club like Wolves where he would fit their philosophy of buying Portuguese talent before earning his way into a bigger club. Due to Jota playing in Celtic I can see him being poached for 30M which I believe would be a record sale for Celtics if I am not mistaken. Jota is only 23 and is starting to hit his stride at the right time to garnish a big money move in the near future.
SCOUTING VIDEOS:
Below will be a couple of videos that all of us internet scouts love to watch!
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AS ALWAYS IF YOU ENJOY THESE PLAYER PROFILES LET ME KNOW AND I WILL KEEP THEM COMING!
