Jota 'fails' in bid to terminate Al Ittihad contract amid squad reshuffle claim

Jota failed in his attempt to terminate his Al Ittihad contract, a fresh report has claimed.

Jota signed for the Saudi Pro League side this summer from Celtic for £25million, a record-equalling sale for a Scottish club.

However, he has endured a nightmare few months in the Gulf state, having been frozen out of Al Ittihad almost immediately.

Indeed, Saudi sides can only register eight foreign players for the Pro League, and upon the arrival of Karim Benzema, N’Golo Kante and Jota’s place in the final squad appeared precarious.

Moreover, Al Ittihad’s signing of Italy international Luiz Felipe at the end of the transfer window took them over the aforementioned threshold and one foreign player had to be dropped from the squad.

It was Jota who wasn't registered, with the player now unable to feature domestically until January.

It was subsequently claimed that the 24-year-old was exploring whether or not to terminate his contract with Al Ittihad, with the ex-Celtic star allegedly wanting to ask for his full £200,000-a-week three-year salary.

However, Hihi2 have now claimed that Jota was unsuccessful in his attempt to terminate his contract.

Moreover, the report added that the Al Ittihad hierarchy is considering a reshuffle that could see Jota added to the league squad when registration reopens in January.

Jota, who recently returned from injury, is still available to play in the AFC Champions League and Club World Cup, with Al Ittihad likely to use him in cup competitions ahead of a possible return to domestic football in 2024.

Nevertheless, pundit Hamad Al-Suwaihi told TV show Dorena Ghir, that the Al Ittihad hierarchy must accept accountability for the signing.

He said: "Jota is contracted at a large financial cost without the club benefiting from his services.

"Al Ittihad's management must be held accountable for contracting with Jota. What happened is considered a disaster."

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