Paulo Bernardo Celtic transfer stumbling block as Benfica wages emerge as issue

Paulo Bernardo's wage demands have emerged as a potential "difficulty" in Celtic's attempts to sign the player permanently.

The Portuguese midfielder, 22, enjoyed a decent campaign at Parkhead last term having joined from Benfica on a season-long loan and Football Scotland exclusively revealed his parent club's price tag for the player. Celts have been attempting to negotiate that fee down in a bid to keep him, but now it's been reported in his native country by Record that it's the salary that could be the sticking point.

The publication claims it's the player himself making things a tad more difficult as he wants a salary close to the one he's been on with the Eagles. But the Hoops are "having difficulty" with meeting those demands.

According to the same publication, Bernardo is on a substantial wage and he is "unwilling" to take any cut to make the permanent switch to Glasgow.

He'd been expected to hit the same sort of heights of the likes of Joao Felix hence his hefty salary as a kid.