JOHN Barnes has warned Celtic over triggering any clause to buy Jota too soon.

The former Parkhead boss has urged club chiefs to continue monitoring the flashy winger before deciding whether to commit to a permanent deal.

It's thought Celtic could make the loan deal from Benfica permanent for around £6.5million.

But Barnes has told Celtic to take their time and not rush into a deal despite Jota's sparkling start to life in Glasgow. 

Barnes told BonusCodeBets: “I don’t know enough about Jota and how well he’s doing to definitively say whether Celtic will trigger their option to buy clause.

"The fact that he has come in and done well means that they probably should keep him there."

But he said triggering the clause too soon could see his form dip after his future is secured. 

He added: "We’ve seen it before, when a club suddenly triggers a clause to buy the player early on into a loan, and he then doesn’t play as well, because he doesn’t feel he has anything to play for.

"There isn’t a need for Celtic to do that right now, because he’s still there for a while and playing well.  

“Celtic will know all about his attitude and character, and they’ll know if it warrants triggering the clause. They won’t lose him between now and the end of season.”