The summer transfer window opened for business in the middle of June and it has taken over a month for Celtic to complete their first signing.
Brendan Rodgers welcomed Finland international Viljami Sinisalo to Parkhead on a permanent move from Aston Villa on Tuesday, to compete for a place between the sticks next season.
The 22-year-old is the first signing of the window and will be looking to fight for a starting spot in goal after Joe Hart retired at the end of last term.
However, he looks set to face competition from 37-year-old Kasper Schmeichel, who is reportedly set to sign a contract until the summer of 2025.
The Scottish Premiership champions are also looking to add to their ranks further up the pitch, as they have been linked with Royal Antwerp forward Michel-Ange Balikwisha, Norwich City centre-forward Adam Idah, and Middlesbrough midfielder Riley McGree, among others.
Celtic's first outfield signing of the summer transfer window, however, looks set to be a central midfielder well-known by the Hoops supporters.
Celtic agree deal to sign midfield maestro
According to Sky Sports journalist Anthony Joseph, the Scottish giants have reached an agreement with Benfica to sign Paulo Bernardo on a permanent basis.
The reporter claims that the club have agreed an initial fee of £3.5m with the Portuguese side to sign him permanently, after his loan spell at Parkhead during the 2023/24 campaign.
That is £3m cheaper than the £6.5m option they had to sign him as part of that loan move, which shows that the club have worked hard to negotiate a lower fee with Benfica.
However, Joseph adds that Celtic still need to iron out the add-ons with the Liga Portugal giants and then agree personal terms with Bernardo before a deal can be officially confirmed by all parties.
The Sky Sports reporter does reveal, though, that the 22-year-old maestro is 'keen' to rejoin the Scottish side, which suggests that personal terms should not be a massive hurdle for the Hoops to overcome in negotiations.
Therefore, it appears as though Bernardo is now set to become the club's first outfield signing of the transfer window, possibly following on from goalkeepers Sinisalo and Schmeichel, if they can get this deal over the line in the coming days.
It is an exciting piece of business for the Bhoys after the former Portugal U21 international showed plenty of signs of promise during the 2023/24 campaign.
Paulo Bernardo's promising form for Celtic
The young midfielder did not manage to establish himself as a regular starter for Rodgers at Parkhead last season but he did offer glimpses of his potential.
In the Premiership, the Portuguese ace only played 22 matches and started 11 times for the Hoops, as the club won the league title for a third year in succession.
Appearances
22
Starts
11
Goals
3
Assists
3
Big chances created
4
Key passes per game
0.5
As you can see in the table above, the £3.5m-rated star caught the eye with six direct goal contributions in just 11 starts in the division – more than one every other start on average.
However, he did only create one chance every other game on average and that is something that may need to be improved if the midfielder wants to emerge as a regular starter for Rodgers.
Bernardo also showcased his defensive work in the Champions League across six appearances in the group stage. He ranked within the top 15% of midfielders for interceptions per 90 (1.44) and the top 7% for blocks per 90 (2.31), which shows that the youngster put his body on the line and read the game well to cut out opposition passes.
These statistics suggest that there is the potential there for him to be moulded into a complete midfielder who can impact games in and out of possession in the years to come, which is why this could be an excellent signing.
Rodgers could now land an exciting signing after bringing Bernardo in on a permanent deal by landing reported transfer target Alvyn Sanches.
Why Celtic should sign Alyvn Sanches
Daily Express journalist Charlie Gordon named Celtic as one of the teams interested in a deal to sign the Lausanne star, alongside Stoke and Coventry from the English Championship, last month.
The reporter added that it would take a fee of £4m – £500k more than the fee agreed for Bernardo – to secure the "highly-rated" 21-year-old starlet's signature.
He could be an exciting signing to be the future of the Celtic midfield alongside the potential incoming from Benfica, as Sanches is a talented young whiz with the potential to improve.
At the age of 21, he is a year younger than Bernardo and has plenty of time left ahead of him to develop and grow, which means that the £4m-rated ace would come in as a long-term project for the Hoops.
His performances on the pitch for Laussane in the Super League during the 2023/24 campaign also suggest that he could immediately offer a threat at the top end of the pitch.
Appearances
25
Start
19
Goals
5
Key passes per game
1.1
Pass accuracy
86%
Dribbles completed per game
1.3
As you can see in the table above, Sanches provided plenty of quality in possession from a central midfield position, with five goals and more than one key pass per game on average.
The Swiss maestro, who also completed 86% of his attempted passes, is a reliable passer of the ball who can also offer creativity and a goal threat.
This could make him an exciting partner for Bernardo in the middle of the park for Celtic in the future, as they are both number eight options who can chip in with contributions as scorers and creators of goals.
Contact made: Celtic set for talks to sign "high level" Maeda upgrade
The Hoops are reportedly interested in a deal to sign the impressive winger this summer.
ByDan EmeryJul 16, 2024
As they are both under the age of 23, they could be the future of Rodgers' midfield and be the long-term successors to the likes of Reo Hatate, Callum McGregor, and Tomoki Iwata, which is why the Hoops should swoop to sign Sanches after landing Bernardo.
