Who is Diogo Jota? Atletico’s new addition is both creator and finisher

One of Atletico’s earliest signings for next season was a man from Portugal named Diogo Jota from Pacos Ferreira. The 19-year-old landed 14 goals and 10 assists last season for his side but we wanted a more insightful look at the player.

So we turned to Jan Hagen, a man dedicated to Portuguese football to help us understand just what type of player Jota is and what the future looks like for you the teenager.

What are Jota's best attributes as a player?

Diogo Jota is a creative winger who also happens to be a great finisher. He can score from many positions and his right foot is excellent. He can either cut in and try to shoot or pick out a pass or he can act as a more traditional winger and cross the ball. Either way he often creates danger for his opposition. He’s very versatile too and can act as a striker and attacking midfielder as well. With his many runs he always create plenty of space for his teammates. His passing and technique shouldn’t be underestimated, either.

If you could compare Jota to a current or former player, who would it be?

That’s quite a difficult question, as Jota is, in my opinion, a quite unique player. He could remind something of Celta Vigo’s Nolito, though.

How good was he last season with Paco Ferreira?

Jota was instrumental to Paços last season, netting 12 times & assisting 7 in 31 Liga games, including a Golaço against Benfica. His numbers says it all and they're exceptional for a teenager.

Is he highly rated in Portugal and is he worth €7 million fee?

He’s very highly rated and definitely one of the top talents in the country. Hadn’t it been for Renato Sanches’ incredible breakthrough season, Jota is the one everyone in Portugal would be talking about right now. Many Benfica fans felt really disappointed when they found out he rejected them to join Atlético.

Where do you see Jota in five years time?

It’ll surprise me if he isn’t one of Portugal’s biggest stars abroad and a key player at the Portuguese national team. Of course, anything can happen and he need to play regularly, but I’m sure he and Atlético will find a solution that works for everybody to secure Jota the best development possible.