Paulo Bernardo Celtic transfer future clue as Rui Costa hands star different Benfica challenge than charted Jota path

The youngster has penned a loan move with the champions but an option to buy is included in the deal.

Paulo Bernardo has been set a lofty target with his Celtic loan spell - prove yourself if you want a future at Benfica.

That's the clear mandate from club president Rui Costa who watched over as the Portuguese side negotiated a loan deal with the Scottish champions that saw Bernardo seal a deadline day move to Celtic. As part of the agreement, the attacking midfielder could be made permanent at the Hoops with an option to buy included in the contract. Bernardo followed a late flurry in the market from Brendan Rodgers after Nat Phillips and Luis Palma both arrived from Liverpool and Aris in Greece.

The 21-year-old Benfica star was not among Celtic's match day squad as they triumphed over Rangers and will hope to follow the charted path of fellow Estádio da Luz graduate Jota who ended his Celtic successful spell with a money-spinning £25million move to Al-Ittihad in Saudi Arabia. For the 24-year-old, he impressed on loan initially and was then sealed on a permanent by the Scottish champions.

But for Bernardo, Benfica president Rui Costa admits he will be keeping a close eye on his spell along with other loanees but that there is a pathway for the youngster to be a regular in the Portuguese giant's squad. He told a media conference: “We believe that they can become first team players. It will be up to them to show themselves so that we can analyze whether they come back or not.”

Rodgers explained leaving his latest signing out of the Ibrox adventure by saying: "Paulo, he’s had no football over the course of pre-season he has trained. We have to look at him. He’ll go away with the Portugal under-21 and hopefully get some game time and then come back and we’ll assess it from there.”