Celtic may stump up full fee to seal signing – Discount preferred but full price possible

As the Portuguese media today writes about the Benfica players who’ve been out on loan and are not expected back at the Eagles, there’s a mention of Paulo Bernardo.

The midfielder has been at Celtic since last summer, and there’s apparently still a chance he could stay in Glasgow on a permanent deal.

That’s today claimed by newspaper Jornal de Notícias, who say Brendan Rodgers’ club look like they’ll advance for the purchase.

It’s claimed that Celtic gave ‘signs’ that they could trigger the buying option, which stands at €7.5m, with 30% of a future fee staying with Benfica. With the Eagles not having plans for him, it seems the operation could even be done for cheaper, but there were apparently no contact for that discount yet.

Since moving to Glasgow at the start of the season, Bernardo made 29 appearances, with four goals and three assists. It was only for a short sequence between December and February that he managed to be a regular starter at the club, as he’s been spending the rest of the season mostly on the bench.