I read a comment the other day about the impending transfer of Jota to Saudi Arabian champions Al-Ittihad that said it was a poor move all round, no matter how you slice it. Perhaps not the best terminology to use, in the circumstances.

And in general, I think, it is a flawed argument. For a start, Celtic pocketing around £20m profit or thereabouts makes Jota the poster boy for their signing policy of bringing in underappreciated talent, giving them a platform to shine, and selling them on for a hefty wedge.

It is a strategy that has seen them open up a considerable financial gap on their rivals over recent years, and while the loss of the hugely gifted winger will weaken them on the pitch, returning manager Brendan Rodgers will fancy he can compensate for that loss by using a portion of the fat fee they are pocketing for the Portuguese.

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One of the reasons why bringing Rodgers back to Celtic at this particular juncture is so tantalising is because there is no need for a major rebuild. So, while he would probably rather not have to lose a player of Jota’s quality, if it allows him to hang on to Kyogo, Reo Hatate and Cameron Carter-Vickers, then he will be able to make his peace with it.

From the player’s perspective, it seems a strange move for a 24-year-old of such potential, on the surface at least. He would be playing alongside superstar names like Karim Benzema and N’Golo Kante, but those two going to the Gulf State fed into the notion that it was a nice place for veteran stars to pump a fortune into their pension pots, and little else.

The recruitment of the likes of Jota’s agency stablemate Ruben Neves at 26 hints at something different entirely, but it is still a long way away from being remotely considered an elite league.

It could be argued certainly that this summer is the right time for Jota to move on from Celtic. He has enjoyed two sparkling years at the club, and while we like to think that Scotland is the centre of the footballing universe, those from outside our little bubble may disagree.

With the greatest of respect, even the Scottish players can find it a little dull and repetitive when coming up against the same teams four times a season. For those coming in from outside, the novelty of trips to Dingwall or Livingston must soon wear off.

In fact, it makes almost as little sense for a man of Jota’s talents to still be knocking around the Scottish Premiership at this stage of his career as it does the Saudi Pro League. Yes, he won’t have access to the Champions League, but the kicker that makes the move to Saudi Arabia a little more palatable from his own point of view will of course be the reported £10m a year that comes with it.

Jota is hardly on a pauper’s wage at Celtic, mind you. But I don’t think he will have spent too long mulling over his small part in enabling the sportswashing of their brutal regime or the various other moral conundrums of taking the Saudi coin when so many of them are being shovelled his way.

Jota was a unique character to cover from a journalistic point of view. Thrilling on the field, away from the pitch his demeanour could be just as unpredictable. At times, he was hugely interesting and engaging, at others he could be dismissive and even a little aloof. But he was clearly a man who knew his own mind and was not afraid to speak it. Nor, I would suspect, follow it.

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A couple of years in Saudi Arabia will likely set him up for life, and his family too for a couple of generations to come. So, playing devil’s advocate – literally, some might say – there is a compelling argument for making the move.

Yes, the vast sums he will be earning come at the price of perhaps the best years of his playing career, but he will still have time on his side to make his mark in European football should he have the desire to do so.

I realise that the following statement is easier said than done, but if you leave aside the fact that the destination is Saudi Arabia, then every other aspect of the deal makes absolute sense for both club and player.

His time at Celtic will be remembered fondly by the supporters. An entertainer with flair who backed that up by producing big goals and wonderful moments consistently in the big games. His goals against Rangers in particular will cement his place in the story of Ange Postecoglou’s successful Celtic era, and his glorious chip over Jon McLaughlin – along with his celebration afterwards, fist raised in the air – is already on its way to becoming an iconic moment in the club’s modern history.

Celtic fans may lament his departure from these shores as a consequence, but from their club’s point of view, the move could hardly have followed the script more perfectly.

The salving of his conscience is Jota’s business. But this has been a phenomenal bit of business from Celtic.