Celtic are reported to be ‘close to striking a deal’ to sign Paulo Bernardo on a permanent basis.
The news comes from Scott Burns of the Daily Record who has a strong grasp of transfer activity as he highlights on his Twitter account.
Bernardo was signed in the week leading up to the closing of the summer transfer window but was instantly put ahead of Odin Thiago Holm and Kwon Hyeok-kyu in Brendan Rodgers’ first team plans.
When it came to the Champions League the on loan Benfica man started two matches and made four appearances with only Luis Palma of the summer signings playing more.
Berenardo didn’t make the same impact as Adam Idah, Jota or Cameron Carter-Vickers but he does have the trust of Rodgers alongside a strong pedigree from the Benfica Academy and being an u-21 regular for Portugal.
Tonight in the Record, Burns reports:
Celtic are confident they are close to striking a deal to sign Paulo Bernardo on a permanent basis from Benfica.
The Hoops took him on loan last season with an option to buy for just over £6 million. Celtic are looking to see if they can negotiate that and get the fee down. Talks are progressing well with Celtic willing to give more on add-ons as well as a sell-on fee. Brendan Rodgers is keen to sign the Portuguese playmaker on a permanent basis, with the 22-year-old aware he has no long-term future at Benfica.
Bernando has made it clear that his preference is to return to Scotland and he wants Benfica to strike a deal. Celtic are also looking at a number of midfielders. Lausanne Sport’s Alvyn Sanches is one who the Hoops’ scouting team are monitoring. He is rated at £4 million but Bernardo remains the preferred target.
Bernardo seems keen enough to return to Celtic, with eight Champions League matches assured for next season he has a level above the SPFL to test himself on.
Strong performances in the Glasgow Derby always go down well with supporters, with that fixture tending to bring out the best in Bernardo who scored once and set up twoals for Idah.