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It has already proven a busy summer as far as those at Celtic are concerned with seven new faces having been brought into the club to date, with returning boss Brendan Rodgers no doubt hoping to put his own stamp on proceedings despite the prior success of his predecessor, Ange Postecoglou.
Despite that flurry of activity over recent months, it looks as if further moves could well be made by the Parkhead outfit before the close of the window, with the Old Firm giants most recently wrapping up a deal for former Rangers target, Luis Palma.
The Honduran winger could be followed to Glasgow by even more fresh additions prior to Friday’s deadline, with rumours rife that Rodgers and co have their eye on another exciting target…
What are the latest Celtic transfer rumours?
As Sky Sports journalist Anthony Joseph revealed earlier this week, the Hoops are believed to have held talks regarding a potential move for Benfica midfielder, Paulo Bernardo, with the 21-year-old in line to make a loan switch to the Premiership side.
Much like the prior capture of his compatriot, Jota from the Portuguese outfit, any temporary deal for Bernardo is likely to include an option to buy, according to Joseph, with the 5 foot 11 sensation currently valued at around £5m, as per Football Transfers.
The Portugal U21 international has made just 26 appearances for his current side at senior level, although he did spend the 2022/23 campaign on loan at Pacos de Ferreira.
Who is Paulo Bernardo?
While Rodgers has already moved to strengthen his midfield ranks this summer with the signings of Odin Thiago Holm and Hyeok-Kyu Kwon, it may be hard to turn down the chance to sign a figure like Bernardo, who has been hailed as a “superb all-round midfielder” by talent scout Jacek Kulig.
Likened to Chelsea and England legend, Frank Lampard in the past by Kulig, the young playmaker has evidently made a strong impression in his embryonic senior career thus far, with the hope being that he can follow in Jota’s footsteps and blossom at Paradise over the coming years.
If a deal for the youngster can be wrapped up, it could allow the Bhoys to find a dream heir to Aaron Mooy in the centre of the park, with the Australian international having called time on his career earlier this year after enjoying just a solitary season at the club.
That glorious, treble-winning campaign saw the 32-year-old establish himself as a key figure in Postecoglou’s ranks after contributing seven goals and 11 assists in 42 games in all competitions, proving himself as a man to make the difference in the final third.
That is a trait that appears to be shared by the reported Celtic target, with Bernardo notably ranking in the top 6% among his European peers for assists made per 90 across the last 365 days, while ranking in the top 5% for non-penalty goals – having also registered 12 goal contributions in 38 outings for Benfica B in the past.
Much like Mooy was a figure who simply “dictates the game” – as per pundit Frank McAvennie – the Benfica gem can also run the show in midfield due to his ball-playing strengths, having been hailed for his “passing” and “vision” by Kulig.
A further impressive element to Bernardo’s game is his ability to also put in the hard yards defensively as he ranks in the top 5% for tackles made per 90 and averaged 2.2 tackles per game in the Primeira Liga last term – a record even better than what Mooy achieved in the Premiership (0.9 tackles per game).
Such an array of skills should well have Celtic supporters licking their lips at the potential prospect of seeing the Almada native in action in Glasgow in the years to come.