Paulo Bernardo is a Celtic transfer steal as euphoric talent spotter reveals he BEGGED Benfica to play him

When Luis Castro took over as Benfica Under-23s coach he had an array of talent at his disposal.

While striker Joao Neves is being linked with a big-money move to Manchester United, Antonio Silva and Morato are first-team stars at the Estadio Da Luz. Another protege Goncalo Ramos has broken through at PSG, alongside Cher Ndour who both left Portugal for France. But of all the youngsters Castro worked with at Benfica, there was one he KNEW would reach the top. That’s why, when he watched Paulo Bernardo strut his stuff in the Champions League for Celtic, he felt a deep sense of satisfaction.

The 21-year-old has been a revelation at Parkhead since joining on loan from Benfica last summer. After an initial settling in period, he’s now a key player for Brendan Rodgers. As well as impressing in Europe, Bernardo scored his first Old Firm goal against Rangers in the Hoops’ 2-1 derby victory last month. But Castro isn’t surprised by his progress.

And under Rodgers, he’s convinced the sky’s the limit for Bernardo. Celtic have an option to buy him in six months’ time but the fee Benfica are looking for is unclear. Castro, who worked at the club for four years, believes if Bernardo is available for £5million - it will be a BARGAIN.

Because he’s convinced that, just like Jota before him who was sold for £25m to Saudi Arabia, he’ll make Celtic a huge profit in future. Castro told MailSport : “If they have the chance to sign Paulo, they’ll do it. It’s the same situation with Jota and they sold him for a lot of money. If the opportunity is there, they will keep him in Glasgow.

“For £4m or £5m, that’s a top deal for Celtic. If that’s the price, it’s very cheap for Paulo. For a young player with his quality – who will improve even