Details revealed as Celtic close in on first summer transfer deal

Celtic are reported to be offering Benfica a fee of £3m plus the usual add-ons for Paulo Bernardo.

The midfielder moved to Glasgow in the final week of the summer transfer window with most reports claiming that there was an option to make the move permanent in exchange for £6m.

That seems very similar to the terms that Jota first arrived at Celtic on, although Bernardo did make a positive contribution it was well short of Jota levels.

Bernardo appeared in all six of Celtic’s Champions League matches, quickly overtaking Odin Thiago Holm and Kwon Hyeok-kyu in the pecking order for a first team place.

The return to fitness of Callum McGregor and Reo Hatate restricted the playing time of the Benfica man in the run-in to the title but he still had a role to play, providing the assists for Adam Idah to score twice in the Glasgow Derby.

Picking up on the story from the Daily Mail, the Daily Record reports:

Now the Daily Mail reports that the package the Hoops are discussing with the Portuguese giants is in the region of £3.5million.

That is nearly half of what the initial agreement was with the same report stating Rodgers’ men propose to pay £3m up front, with add-ons adding a potential further £500k plus a percentage of any sale if he moves on again. They state Bernardo is open to making the move to Glasgow on a long-term deal.

Celtic are preparing for another go at Europe’s elite in the Champions League with the club also wanting to bring Adam Idah back on full-time terms after a hugely successful loan period from Norwich City.

The obvious solution would be an agreement around £4.5m, as long as Benfica have a 30% sell on clause it will protect them from losing out on a Jota type windfall.

That fee might be higher than Celtic want to pay out but after the wastage of last summer it would seem a far more reliable investment.