Reason for Jota's shock Al Ittihad exit 'revealed' - it could have a huge impact on Liverpool

The reason why Jota is set to leave Al Ittihad just a month after moving to the Saudi Pro League side has reportedly been revealed.

Jota joined the likes of Karim Benzema and N'Golo Kante at Al Ittihad following his £25 million transfer - a club-record fee paid for a player.

His move came after his prolific spell at Celtic, where he scored 28 goals in 83 matches in all competitions.

The 24-year-old has played just four games for his new side, with his time in Saudi Arabia reportedly coming to an end.

It's claimed that Jota is set to leave Al Ittihad, with no additional information given on the reason for his sudden departure.

Fresh reports now state that Al Ittihad fans are unhappy with the club's transfer of the Portuguese forward amid major names joining their rivals.

Saudi journalist Waleed Al Farraj has claimed that the team will discard Jota despite splashing £25 million for his services.

Al Farraj also referenced Liverpool superstar Mohamed Salah, suggesting a deal could still happen this summer.

The Egyptian, who scored in his side's win over Bournemouth last weekend, would fit the bill as a marque signing and has been linked with a move to Saudi Arabia.

"Mohamed Salah is an Ittihad player, God willing. There is a 75 per cent chance that Salah will join Ittihad," he said.

"I heard that Jota will not continue with the team. Yes, the club paid €30 million for him, but the club found that he does not serve the team at the moment.

"Ittihad’s interests come first. I am happy to have Karim Benzema in the centre-forward position, but he lacks playing alongside world-class attacking wingers. But in that way, absolutely not."

Jota in action. Image: Getty

On the fan backlash over the transfer of Jota amid blockbuster deals taking place at other clubs, Al Farraj added: "It is the right of the Ittihad Jeddah fans to be saddened by the team’s current technical state, but we must not forget that last year, these same players managed to win the league.

"There is a fierce campaign against the players, management, and the coach because of the arrival of international stars to other clubs.

"These other clubs have signed more foreign players because Ittihad believes that last year they were the champion and should not sign foreigners in the same numbers as other clubs."

Topics: Diogo Jota, Saudi Pro League, Mohamed Salah

Nasir Jabbar

Nasir Jabbar is a journalist at SPORTbible. He graduated from Bath Spa University with a BA in Media Communications. He's a combat sport aficionado and has contributed to MMA websites AddictedMMA and CagePotato. Nasir has covered some of the biggest fights, while interviewing the likes of Conor McGregor, Anthony Joshua, Tyson Fury and Darren Till. He's also an avid Bristol City fan.

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