Midfielder Paulo Bernardo is having a productive early summer after playing a starring role for Celtic in the Scottish Cup final win over Rangers last week.
It was the Benfica talent, on loan at the Bhoys, who surged forward in the 90th minute and unleashed the shot that Jack Butland parried into the path of heroic goalscorer Adam Idah.
Bernardo is not holidaying like some of his other teammates, instead getting the opportunity to impress Portugal coaches at an international training camp.
It was confirmed by the FPF that Bernardo has been part of group sessions alongside some established senior players and a selection of U21 talents as the country gears up for this summer’s EURO 2024 tournament in Germany.
Portugal’s official training camp doesn’t begin until Sunday, but Bernardo helped out as stars such as Diogo Jota and Nelson Semedo maintained their fitness.
Celtic consider their options on Paulo Bernardo
Bernardo made 33 appearances in total for Celtic during his loan spell, the majority of which came from the bench. He proved to be a very solid squad option for Brendan Rodgers.
Celtic are said to be currently considering his future with the midfielder due to return to Benfica this summer. However, he is not part of their plans and the Scottish champions reportedly hold an option-to-buy clause in his loan, thought to be pitched at around £6.3m.
Speculation in recent days has suggested that the Bhoys are keen to try and negotiate that price down. [Football Scotland]
If the club can manage that, it makes a summer move appealing. A fee of around £6m may be considered too rich for a squad player but Bernardo has talent and potential. It’s worth keeping him around if it’s cost-effective.
Having a known quantity in the building would be a positive and a full pre-season under Rodgers could help the player develop further as this team looks to push on to new heights.