Paulo Bernardo speaks out on Celtic future and his recent form

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Celtic have now won five matches on the trot and midfielder Paulo Bernardo has been at the forefront of their recent revival.

Despite enduring a difficult start to his Parkhead career, the Portugal Under-21 cap has now established himself as a key player under Brendan Rodgers.

Reo Hatate is currently on international duty with Japan at the AFC Asian Cup, leaving Bernardo to take the reins in midfield alongside Callum McGregor and Matt O’Riley.

Repaying Rodgers’ faith, the 21-year-old has registered two goals and two assists across his last four Scottish Premiership matches [Transfermarkt].

Yesterday, the Benfica loanee opened his Scottish Cup account in the Hoops’ 5-0 victory over Buckie Thistle, extending his impressive run of goal contributions in green and white.

Speculation continues to rumble over whether Bernardo will stay in Glasgow beyond his agreed loan terms. According to Football Scotland’s Mark Hendry, Celtic will have the opportunity to acquire him for £6 million come the summer window.

There could also be ‘wiggle room’ to negotiate his buyout clause should he be pursued further by the Scottish champions.

Paulo Bernardo speaks out on Celtic future and recent form

Exploding into form, it is only natural that questions will continue to arise regarding Bernardo’s long-term future.

Hoops manager Rodgers has already offered encouragement over a permanent move for the midfielder, previously saying: “We’ll assess it. I’ll sit down with him at some point towards the end of the season and take it from there.”

Nevertheless, the Almada-born man was tight-lipped on his next career step when asked if he could remain at Parkhead, stating [Daily Record]: “I just think about the present, game by game, how I can improve.

“Then the other things will happen. I am enjoying it a lot. The fans are unbelievable and they like me, so I am feeling good too. I just have to keep going and doing things well.”

He later added when asked about joining Celtic for good: “No. He (Rodgers) and me just want to keep things going well and to improve a lot.”

Celtic should look to sign Paulo Bernardo permanently

In the interest of honesty, Bernardo is hardly going to give a definitive answer either way when asked about his Celtic future, given the unpredictable nature of any potential transfer negotiations.

Despite this, the Portuguese midfielder is clearly an excellent talent who the Hoops should look to secure permanently.

As per Sofascore, Bernardo has excelled in several key metrics, taking on an average of 2.1 shots per Scottish Premiership match and creating two big chances.

Defensively, the 5ft 11in playmaker has also contributed, making 1.9 successful tackles and 2.7 ball recoveries per fixture in the Scottish top-flight.

Denmark international O’Riley has attracted interest from Girona ahead of the deadline following his imperious displays in the engine room.

On the other hand, David Turnbull has been tipped to leave Celtic, which should prompt Rodgers to try and secure the future of his midfield.