Paulo Bernardo was undergoing a medical examination on Tuesday night before completing his £3.4million move to Celtic.
The Portuguese midfielder is set to join Brendan Rodgers’ squad before Sunday’s Premiership flag day against Kilmarnock, and Adam Idah’s on-off move to Parkhead has taken a fresh twist after the striker was disciplined by Norwich and left out of their friendly with Hoffenheim after missing the team flight to Austria at the weekend.
While Celtic edge closer to a breakthrough on Bernardo and Idah, they face frustration in their quest to snap up Wolves left back Hugo Bueno.
The Premier League side have told Mail Sport they have no current plans to send the Spaniard out on loan.
Celtic’s protracted pursuit of Bernardo will finally come to an end when the 22-year-old becomes the club’s first outfield signing of the summer after two weeks of haggling over cash.
He arrived in Glasgow on a one-year loan last summer, with a £6m option to buy.
Reluctant to pay the full amount to complete a permanent deal from Benfica, Celtic renegotiated a fee of £3.4m with a 30 per cent sell-on clause. After renegotiating the personal terms, the midfielder has now agreed terms on a five-year deal.
Bernardo is set to join Celtic in a £3.4m deal after undergoing medical
Portuguese midfielder Bernardo was an impressive performer during last season’s loan spell
Celtic also want left back Hugo Bueno but Wolves won’t send him out on loan
Bernardo now joins goalkeepers Kasper Schmeichel and Viljami Sinisalo as the third signing of the summer but seems unlikely to be the last despite frustration over Wolves left back Bueno.
Spain Under-21 international Bueno was the target of an unsuccessful Celtic loan bid in January. Talks over a 12-month deal have now hit a roadblock, with Wolves confirming they are not prepared to let the defender go at the current time.
Idah looks more likely to seal a move after Norwich boss Johannes Hoff Thorup confirmed disciplinary action had been taken against the Irish international.
‘We have rules and everyone has to stick to them,’ said Thorup.
Celtic have had a £4.5m offer turned down, with Fiorentina and Hellas Verona also interested.
Idah, who was on loan at Celtic last season, is still part of the squad’s WhatsApp group, and captain Callum McGregor believes the £8m striker is wanting to return.
‘I think he is. He is certainly making all the right noises that he wants to come back. If it works for everybody, we would be delighted to get him back.’
Addressing growing frustration growing among fans at the pace of the transfer activity, McGregor predicted more additions to the squad before another tilt at the Champions League.
‘We have to have a little bit of patience and trust the guys that are in those positions to do the job,’ he said.
The Parkhead side could be making a breakthrough in their pursuit of Idah
Celtic captain Callum McGregor believes the club will bring in new recruits soon
McGregor and boss Brendan Rodgers during club’s recent tour of the USA
‘Everybody wants everything at the drop of a hat and sometimes you have to bide your time and be patient and trust the process. That is where we are as a club at the minute – and the players know there are quality players to come in.’
Reflecting on friendly wins over Manchester City and Chelsea in the US, McGregor said: ‘The games showed everybody that we were really slick and everybody knew their job. It is now about trying to keep as much of that together as possible and adding the right quality.
‘That’s the one thing we are always asking the club, to bring us quality players so the squad is as strong as possible. That means the competition goes up, the training levels go up and that is how you are successful. It is probably no different to where we have been every other season as we want to add one or two more quality players.
‘We have lost two or three key players in terms of the squad. I am sure the club are working on the dynamics of that and how we finished the season. There is still work to be done always.’
Meanwhile, McGregor believes Celtic can’t afford to let their own preparations be affected by turmoil at Rangers, with the Ibrox club having to decant to Hampden at the start of the season and sell players in order to buy.
‘I’ve been in this spot long enough to know you have to concentrate on yourself,’ he said. ‘The minute you lift your head and look elsewhere, that’s when it goes wrong. We don’t look at what anyone else is doing.’
* Callum McGregor was speaking at the William Hill SPFL Season 2024-25 launch. William Hill are the proud sponsors of all four SPFL league competitions.
