Celtic could use the summer transfer window, which officially opened for business last Friday, to make additions to bolster their playing squad.
The Hoops won two trophies during the 2023/24 campaign as they lifted the Scottish Premiership title and the SFA Cup in May, beating their local rivals to both.
Brendan Rodgers, however, may want to go in search of a domestic treble, which was achieved by Ange Postecoglou the season before, next term.
In order to do that, the Northern Irish manager could need to improve his options across the park by dipping into the market before the window slams shut at the end of August.
Whilst that could involve new additions coming through the door at Parkhead, Celtic are also looking to bring back at least one of their loan stars from last season.
Celtic's pursuit of Portuguese wizard
Portuguese outlet Record, via the Daily Record, recently reported that the Scottish giants are struggling to secure a deal to sign central midfielder Paulo Bernardo on a permanent deal this summer.
The Benfica maestro spent the 2023/24 campaign on loan at Paradise and the club had an option to make it permanent for a fee of £6m, but decided to attempt to negotiate a lower fee with the Liga Portugal giants.
It was stated that the Bhoys were able to clear that hurdle and, yet, a deal does not appear to be close as they have not been able to agree personal terms with the young magician.
The report claimed that Bernardo is on a substantial wage and is unwilling to take a pay cut to make the move to Scotland on a permanent basis, and the Hoops 'having difficulty' meeting his demands at this moment in time.
Record did not reveal how much the right-footed whiz is on per-week at Benfica but noted that it is a contract that he signed as a teenager when he was viewed as a player with similar potential to Joao Felix, which is why it is a substantial package for the Bhoys to take on.
Rodgers and Celtic could, however, ditch their pursuit of the expensive midfielder by pushing ahead with a deal for reported target Luke McCowan.
Sky Sports reporter Anthony Joseph recently reported that the Scottish giants have been keeping tabs on the SPFL central midfielder, whose current deal with Dundee is set to expire next summer.
The journalist added that teams in the MLS and the English Championship are also interested in the left-footed dynamo, which suggests that the Hoops are facing plenty of competition to secure his signature before the end of the window.
It remains to be revealed, however, how much Dundee would demand for their star midfielder, as his contract expiring next year means that they run the risk of losing him for nothing if they do not cash in on him ahead of next season.
Celtic can now abandon their pursuit of Bernardo and swoop to sign McCowan instead to bolster Rodgers' midfield for the 2024/25 campaign.
Paulo Bernardo's season at Celtic in numbers
The 22-year-old talent joined the club on a season-long loan from Benfica last summer and enjoyed a solid, but unspectacular, first year in Scottish football.
Bernardo failed to nail down a regular place in the starting XI, with just 11 starts to his name in the Premiership, but did show glimpses of his quality when given an opportunity to shine.
The likes of Matt O'Riley, Reo Hatate, Tomoki Iwata, and Callum McGregor being on the books provide strong competition for minutes in the middle of the park, which is why the young talent did not rack up starts week-in-week-out.
In his relatively limited time on the pitch for the Premiership champions, though, the Benfica loanee did showcase his ability to make things happen at the top end of the pitch.
Appearances
22
Starts
11
Goals
3
Assists
3
Big chances created
4
Duel success rate
48%
As you can see in the table above, the Portugal youth international was directly involved in six goals in 11 starts – more than one every other start on average.
However, he also lost more duels than he won and this suggests that the young gem struggled with the physicality of Scottish football in his first, and possibly last, year with the Hoops.
Why Celtic should sign Luke McCowan
The Bhoys could forget all about their pursuit of Bernardo, though, with a swoop to sign McCowan due to his proven quality in the Premiership.
At the age of 26, he would not arrive with as much potential as the 22-year-old Portuguese starlet but is also not an over-the-hill veteran with no room to grow.
The left-footed ace should be heading into the prime years of his career and this means that the Hoops could get plenty of seasons of quality out of him, if he can adapt to playing for Rodgers at Parkhead.
His form for Dundee last season suggests that the potential is there for him to come in and offer more than Bernardo as competition for the likes of Hatate, O'Riley, and McGregor for a starting spot in midfield.
Appearances
37
22
Goals
10
3
Assists
5
3
Big chances created
9
4
Key passes per game
1.6
0.5
Duel success rate
45%
48%
As you can see in the table above, both players struggle with physical duels against opposition players but excel when it comes to scoring and creating goals.
McCowan has proven his ability to score and assist goals at an impressive rate from a midfield position at Premiership level, with more than three times as many goals as Bernardo and 1.1 more key passes per game on average.
The 26-year-old ace, who writer Kai Watson dubbed "tenacious", could, therefore, provide more than the Benfica youngster in the middle of the park, due to his superior quality in the final third.
Kelleher signs, £8m star bought: What Rodgers' dream Celtic XI could be
A look at what the Hoops team could be next season if they have a successful summer transfer window.
ByDan Emery
This is why Celtic should ditch their pursuit of Bernardo and, instead, push ahead with a deal to sign the Dundee wizard ahead of the MLS and Championship clubs before the window slams shut later this summer.
