Paulo Bernardo was having a rather unremarkable loan spell at Celtic Park until a few weeks ago. His recent performances have caught the eye of the fans though, and a lot of them want the club to sign the Portuguese midfielder on a permanent basis now. For that to happen, the Hoops might need to shell out a significant transfer fee.
Bernardo is 21 years of age and was a standout at youth levels for both Benfica and Portugal. Things have not gone smoothly for him in the senior game though.
Unsurprisingly, comparisons were drawn with the move for Jota, when Celtic signed Bernardo in the summer. The midfielder certainly took a fair bit of time to adjust to his new surroundings and club. But at the moment, he is performing at a high level.
Bernardo scored his first goal for Celtic in the game against Dundee FC and followed that up a few days later with one against the Rangers in the Glasgow Derby. He showed the other side to his game in the next match, providing a couple of assists against St Mirren.
Celtic have significant release clause for Bernardo
The perception around Bernardo has changed a lot based on the previous three games. The Hoops might need to shell out a significant figure to bring him to Parkhead on a permanent basis.
As reported by Football Scotland, Bernardo has a £6 million release clause in his Benfica contract. There has been no concrete agreed upon number between the two clubs though, which leaves wiggle room for Celtic for a negotiation this month or towards the end of the season.
It remains to be seen if Celtic end up signing Bernardo on a permanent basis. A lot of that will depend on how he performs between now and the end of the season. Is this a good run of form or the norm?