Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers will have several transfer decisions to undertake this summer once the campaign is over.
Once the window opens, determining the futures of loanees Paulo Bernardo and Adam Idah will be a swift port of call, though there is no indication yet if either will stay at Parkhead going into next season.
In the case of Idah, there is no option to buy in his loan agreement from Norwich City, meaning Celtic may have to spend considerable time thrashing out the particulars of any prospective deal.
On the other hand, Portugal Under-21 international Bernardo has a reported buyout stipulation amounting to roughly £6.4 million, which could provide Rodgers with an opportunity to secure his services in the engine room.
Per Transfermarkt, the Almada-born man has shown an appetite to break forward from midfield, registering four goals and three assists in 32 appearances.
Nevertheless, his future remains unclear, and now former Celtic man Mark Wilson has weighed into the debate over whether he should be kept around in Glasgow.
Mark Wilson on Paulo Bernardo and his Celtic future
Deciding on whether to pursue loanees is a complicated business for a club like Celtic, especially in Bernardo’s case, where he has been in and out of Rodgers’ side.
Speaking on Clyde 1 Superscoreboard, Wilson isn’t entirely convinced by the prospect of Bernardo ending up at Parkhead permanently for £6 million or over; however, he did acknowledge he could be a handy addition if midfielders leave his old club in the summer.
When asked if he thought Bernardo had played his final game for the club against St Mirren last weekend, he said: “I would say so, I would say so. I don’t think you can pay £6 million for a player who doesn’t really impact the starting XI.
“I know he had a little purple patch where he scores against Rangers, and he scored at Dens.”
He then finished when queried on why the midfielder couldm’t be an asset test term: “It’s a fair point, but you’d have to think then that other midfielders are moving on, with O’Riley especially moving on, but again, I think £6 million is too far, it’s a big stretch.”
Paulo Bernardo could be a gamble worth taking for Celtic
Celtic have a choice to make regarding Bernardo, who has shown flashes of brilliance alongside an ability to drift in and out of games.
Nevertheless, his footballing pedigree is excellent, and he is now a Scottish Premiership winner, building up valuable experience in Glasgow under a manager with a proven track record of improving the tools at his disposal.
In all likelihood, the 22-year-old’s development will only accelerate, so it may be worth taking the plunge or renegotiating the terms of his clause to try to bring him in at Parkhead on a full-time basis.