Celtic’s recent upturn in fortunes has come about partly due to a collective rise in intensity from Brendan Rodgers’ men on the field.
Back-to-back defeats against Kilmarnock and Heart of Midlothian feel like distant memories now as Rodgers prepares his side for the visit of Ross County this weekend.
The Hoops are on a run of five wins on the spin and few players at the club have made more of an impact in that spell than Paulo Bernardo, who has emerged from the shadows to claim a slot in midfield.
Since starting in Celtic’s 2-0 victory over Livingston back in December, the Portugal Under-21 cap has put up three goals and two assists in five outings, including his stunning opening strike in the Glasgow Derby at the tail end of last year.
Discussions over the loanee’s long-term future at Parkhead has refused to go away as supporters hold out hope that the Almada-man will put pen to paper on a permanent basis.
Reports suggest there is a buyout clause of around £6 million in his loan agreement, which the Scottish Premiership champions have ‘wiggle room’ to negotiate if they wish to land his services between now and its expiration.
Celtic’s Paulo Bernardo talks about his goalscoring prowess
Bernardo has shown he isn’t afraid to strike at goal when he has the chance, racking up an average of 2.1 shots per match in the Scottish Premiership this term [Sofascore].
More often than not, the 21-year-old is now reaping the rewards of his opportunism, and he has recently discussed his spate of goalscoring form, indicating that putting the ball in the net is simply part of his job description.
The Benfica loanee stated [The Herald]: “It’s my job too. I have to do my best. Happily, everything is going well for me, but I want to do more.
“I think I can do better in the second half of the season. I have to improve a lot in my game, so I just have to continue to work hard, and everything is going to go well.”
There is more to come from Paulo Bernardo at Celtic
Loaning players with an option to buy is an avenue that has worked well for Celtic of late, with Cameron Carter-Vickers and Jota proving to be two of the finest imports in the club’s recent history.
In a similar mould, Bernardo is an extremely talented player and has plenty of room to build on an impressive start in Glasgow.
Speaking about the possibility of a permanent deal for the midfielder, Rodgers stated: “We’ll assess it. I’ll sit down with him at some point towards the end of the season and take it from there.”
Venturing forward, the Portuguese midfielder has had more of an influence in the final third as the campaign progresses, taking 34 touches when in the opposition penalty box on league duty [Fotmob].
There is more to come from him in the second part of 2023/24, and hopefully, Celtic can sit down with Bernardo and thrash out a deal that will see him remain at Parkhead beyond the summer.
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