Aside from Celtic losing treble-winning coach, Ange Postecoglou, arguably the biggest setback of the summer so far for the Parkhead outfit was the departure of wing wizard, Jota, with the Portuguese gem having sealed a £25m move to Saudi Arabian side, Al Ittihad.
Despite being able to rake in a handsome profit on the 24-year-old – having signed him on a permanent deal for roughly £6.4m the year prior – that exit has left the Hoops without a player that was crucial to their domestic dominance under Postecolgou over the last two seasons.
Having initially snapped up the Lisbon native from Benfica on a season-long loan deal in the summer of 2021, the fleet-footed ace went on to score 13 goals and provide 14 assists in all competitions during his debut season in Glasgow, before adding a further 27 goal involvements last season.
With an overall tally of 54 goals and assists in just 83 games for the Old Firm giants in total, it is fair to say that Jota certainly made his mark at the club, hence the need to find a suitable replacement for the forthcoming campaign.
Who could replace Jota at Celtic?
Rodgers and co have, of course, already strengthened their attack with the signings of Marco Tilio and Hyunjun Yang, although further forward additions could be in store, amid prior reports that the Bhoys have also shown an interest in another South Korean sensation – Ji-sung Eom.
As per the Daily Record, Celtic are said to have been scouting the 21-year-old Gwangju starlet of late, albeit with his current side seemingly adamant that they will not sell the emerging sensation before the end of the K League 1 season later this year.
As the piece also notes, however, the Hoops could strike a deal that would see Eom spend the next six months on loan back at his current club, before eventually making the move to Scotland in the New Year.
Either way, if Rodgers can strike a deal for the 5 foot 10 dynamo in the near future, it could allow Celtic to forget all about that man Jota, such is the Korean's undoubted potential.
Who is Ji-sung Eom?
As stated above, trying to fill the void left behind by Jota will be no small feat, although, in Eom, the Scottish champions could potentially find a worthy candidate, following the wide man's impact in his homeland in recent times.
Such is the young forward's quality, he has even been dubbed "one of the most exciting young talents in Korean football" by journalist Jason Lee, having scored 15 goals and provided four assists in 80 games in all competitions for Gwangju.
While not quite at the same level as Jota's return for Celtic, Eom has been in fine form in the current campaign with two goals and two assists in just 15 league outings, having made a smooth transition to life in the top tier – after bagging nine goals in 28 K League 2 games last year.
A player who typically operates on the left wing, like Jota, the South Korean U22 international also mirrors the Al Ittihad ace with regard to his defensive output, having averaged 1.7 tackles and interceptions per game last season, while Jota averaged 1.6 in that regard in 2022/23.
Also described as a truly "underrated" talent – in the words of scout Ali Can Kutlu – Eom has the potential to explode over the coming years, with the hope being that his development can continue under the watchful eye of Rodgers.
Losing Jota is undoubtedly a source of real frustration, although the former Celtic Park hero could be quickly forgotten about if a new figure steps up to take his place on the flanks.