Celtic loan Paulo Bernardo with buy‑option after £3.5m flop

Celtic have agreed to exit with Paulo Bernardo, loaning the £3.5 million signing to Polish Ekstraklasa side Górnik Zabrze with a permanent transfer clause, a move the Hoops deem a good deal after a season‑long loan was sanctioned, the club confirmed the departure in an official statement.

Celtic invested around £3.5 million to sign the Portuguese midfielder permanently from Benfica because they believed he could become an influential midfielder. His technical quality and Portugal Under‑21 experience explained the initial enthusiasm.

Bernardo made 64 appearances in all competitions for Celtic, scoring seven goals and providing seven assists, although well over half of those outings came from the bench. During the 2025/26 campaign he struggled to force his way into the starting side and was omitted from Celtic’s opening 1‑0 Premiership victory over Dundee, signalling an imminent exit.

Sending him to Górnik Zabrze eases Celtic’s wage burden immediately and creates extra room within the squad before a demanding period of the season. The loan therefore serves both financial and squad‑management purposes.

The agreement is a season‑long loan to the Polish side, with an option to buy written into the contract, giving Górnik Zabrze the chance to secure the midfielder permanently. The clause provides the Ekstraklasa club with control should he rediscover his best form.

For Górnik Zabrze, the deal offers a low‑risk opportunity to add a player with proven technical ability and international youth experience, while retaining the option to make the move permanent if performances improve.

For Celtic, the loan represents another route to a permanent exit, potentially rebuilding Bernardo’s market value elsewhere and freeing up wages and a squad place for players who better match the team’s tactical profile.