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Paulo Bernardo to Celtic ‘timeline’ emerges as talks over permanent transfer ramp up
Fans may be seeing him again in a Hoops top shortly
TALKS over a permanent transfer for Paulo Bernardo to Celtic are advancing, with the player himself keen on 'quick-fire timeline' to sort things out, reports suggest.
Bernardo was on loan at Parkhead last season and played 33 times in all competitions, scoring four goals as the Hoops clinched a Premiership and Scottish Cup double.
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The 22-year-old midfielder headed back to Benfica after the conclusion of the campaign but is understood to be keen on a return to Celtic for good.
Reports in Portugal last month suggested there was a stumbling block in negotiations, with the player's wages said to be an issue.
Talks have progressed recently and it appears a transfer fee has now been agreed.
That just leaves the finer details of a sell-on clause to sort out.
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The Daily Mail is reporting that Bernardo is in favour of sealing the deal quickly so that he can join up with Brendan Rodgers' squad BEFORE they set off on their pre-season trip to America.
Rodgers hinted last week that the Hoops could be unveiling new signings in time for their flight to the US.
He said: “Of course, we would want to get them in sooner rather than later. But it's a two-way thing so hopefully we can get them done in the coming weeks.
“Would we like to get some in before America? That's the plan. I think every manager would like them in on the first day but what's most important is the players we want are targeted.
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“We know what we want to bring in to improve the squad and I'm sure over the coming weeks we'll conclude the deals and get us stronger for next season.
“We could have had nine players in by now if we wanted but it's all about the right players. There's no point in us doing anything other than that, and sometimes that takes a little bit of patience.
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“In the world nowadays, where everything's immediate, everyone thinks you can do it straight away but it's not always the case. There's always a collaboration between ourselves and another club to get the players that we want.
“But I'm very hopeful that come the end of the window, we'll have a really strong squad and be ready and prepared for an exciting season.”
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