Celtic urged to sign £6m midfielder as Rangers eye Tavernier replacement
Celtic have been urged to sign Paulo Bernardo on a permanent deal – and stressed the move could benefit both the player and the reigning champions.
The midfielder joined the Hoops on a season-long loan deal from Portuguese giants Benfica last summer and went on to score four goals and provide three assists in 33 appearances in all competitions. There is believed to be an option for Celtic to convert the loan into a permanent switch and former Falkirk and Stenhousemuir forward Pedro Moutinho believes that is a move Brendan Rodgers should take as he kicks off his summer transfer business.
Speaking to The Celtic Way, he said: “He does need to play more consistently to reach his full potential. He is ready now but there is a lot of improvement and development to happen in his game and Rodgers sees that too. With Rodgers being contracted to Celtic for another two years at least it would be an exciting enough project for Bernardo should the club take up the option-to-buy clause.
“He strikes me as the kind of player who will be a good fit for Celtic moving forward, especially with Rodgers at the helm playing the manager’s brand of football. Bernardo can play as a 6, 8 or 10 and could handle playing in all those positions for Celtic if they wanted him to do that. He is a tremendous player.”
Rangers eye Tavernier successor
Rangers are reportedly keen on a move for West Ham United star Ben Johnson – but will face competition from a number of clubs in England.
The former England Under-21 international made 25 appearances across all competitions for the Hammers last season but looks set to leave the club next month when his current contract comes to a close. With no new agreement in sight, the likes of Crystal Palace, Sheffield United and Leeds United have all been strongly linked with a move for the 24-year-old – and Rangers have also been thrown into the mix.
The Athletic have claimed talks between Johnson and Rangers have been ongoing since the beginning of May and The 4th Official have now added more to the story. They posted on Patreon: “I can confirm that Rangers have an active interest in Ben Johnson. This is after talking with several sources including West Ham insider @ExWHUEmployee. Johnson has several options but the interest from Rangers is concrete. The 24 year old is a free agent and has turned down multiple contract offers from West Ham United. The versatile defender is being targeted as a long term successor to James Tavernier.”
