Ex-Celtic star could be handed Al-Ittihad lifeline as Nuno Espirito Santo sacking has fans all say the same thing

Former Celtic winger Jota looks set to be given a second chance at Al-Ittihad following the club's decision to sack manager Nuno Espirito Santo on Wednesday.

The ex-Hoops and Benfica star moved to the Saudi Pro League champions in a life-changing £25million transfer back in June this year but his move to the Middle East quickly turned sour after being frozen out of the first-team squad under his fellow Portuguese and wasn't registered for domestic matches.

With a limit on the number of foreign players per club in Saudi Arabia, the 24-year-old was not included in the list and that meant he has only been able to feature in Asian Champions League games and friendlies until January at the earliest.

GlasgowWorld previously reported that Jota was keen to explore a loan move away from the club or even seek a mutual termination of his contract but with Espirito Santo now parting ways following a five-match winless run, he could be given a fresh start once a new manager is appointed.

That appears to be what Al-Ittihad fans would like to see happen, with assistant coach Hassan Khalifa taken over on an interim basis. It has been suggested that Espirito Santo's strained relationship with talisman Karim Benzema played a part in the club's decision to dispense of his services.

A statement shared on social media yesterday read: "The club has announced the end of its contract with Portuguese coach Nuno Santo. This decision comes after a comprehensive technical evaluation of the past phase during which he was in charge of coaching the first football team."

The Jeddah-based club uploaded a photo of Jota back in training after being welcomed back into the fold, leading one supporter to comment: "I trust that Jota's level will return."

Another wrote: "Nuno literally is the one who signed Jota and didn't include him in the squad, he should be sacked," and a third fan said: "Jota might actually get a game now that idiot Nuno is gone."