Celtic’s pursuit of Paulo Bernardo may well have been given a massive shot in the arm after recent events that have been going on at Benfica.
The Portuguese midfielder spent last season on loan under Brendan Rodgers and despite a tentative start to his Celtic stint, he became a valuable member of the first team, especially during the title run-in.
Bernardo scored four goals for Celtic and made three assists with his contribution to the games against Rangers being the most important.
A goal in the New Year Glasgow Derby plus a brilliant assist for Adam Idah’s Scottish Cup final winner has propelled Bernardo into the realms of hero status and urged the Celtic boss to look at bringing him to Glasgow permanently.
With both clubs haggling over a fee for the 22-year-old, what’s just happened at Benfica may well speed up the negotiations this week.
Benfica’s new midfield addition
The Portuguese giants have just signed 19-year-old midfielder, Tomas Cruz from German side Hannover 96 this week. [Benfica FC]
The youngster will be drafted into the U23 squad with a view to developing him into the Benfica first team.
Cruz is incredibly versatile and can play in both of Bernardo’s positions in central and defensive midfield areas as well as on both flanks as a winger and the right and left of centre midfield. [Transfermarkt]
With Celtic said to be confident of landing Bernardo, now that the Portuguese club have another talent in their ranks, Cruz’s capture could speed up the 22-year-old’s exit process now that Benfica have procured a potential successor to the midfielder.
The Celtic fans will be hoping that Bernardo, alongside Adam Idah, will be two of at least four or five new signings that Rodgers will make in time to bolster the squad for what is going to be a busy season ahead.
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