Jota signs Brentford contract option but is loaned to Eibar

Brentford midfielder Jota has agreed an option to extend his contract but has been loaned to La Liga side Eibar for personal reasons.

Jota was one of the stars of Brentford's 2014-15 season, his first in England after joining the club from Celta Vigo, but he was injured on the first day of the 2015-16 campaign and missed four months.

He returned to action in December and made four more appearances, but has been back on the sidelines in recent weeks because of a calf problem and an issue away from football that has seen him spend time back in Spain.

The 24-year-old is under contract until the end of the 2016-17 season but Brentford now have an option to extend that deal by a year.

However, he will now spend the next 18 months with Eibar - although the Sky Bet Championship club has an option to recall him in the summer or in January 2017.

Jota played for Eibar in 2013-14 and scored 11 goals in 35 games as they secured top division football for the first time in the club's history.

He issued a statement via Twitter, which read: "It's with great difficulty that I write this. A year and a half ago I arrived at Brentford and you made me feel like one of you.

"However the day has arrived where we have to go our separate ways and as you know I will leave to continue my footballing career in my native Spain.

"This isn't goodbye but more of a see you later or 'hasta luego' as we say in Spain because I have just extended my contract with Brentford for another year.

"My decision is based solely on personal circumstances and for that reason I will spend the next 18 months at home in Spain.

"During my time in England I have had offers from the Premier League as well as other foreign leagues, but I have always rejected these due to my commitment to Brentford and I would like people to know that if it wasn't for my personal circumstances I wouldn't be going anywhere."