Paulo Bernardo has completed his return to Celtic from Benfica on a five-year deal worth £3. 5m.
There is an option to buy clause in Bernardo’s loan deal from last season, valued at around £6. 5m, which Celtic controlled to negotiate downwards.
Bernardo, 22, now has Brendan Rodgers’ first signing of the summer.
The midfielder spent a season on loan at the Scottish champions, where he won a double in the League and Cup.
Celtic have already signed two goalkeepers, Kasper Schmeichel and Viljami Sinisalo, and the club are keen to secure the return of Norwich striker Adam Idah.
Speaking to Celtic TV after joining Celtic on a permanent contract, Bernardo said: “It’s for me and it’s a big step in my career.
“I enjoyed last season when we won the championship and the cup, so it was wonderful for me; also my first two titles of my career.
“I love the club, I love the fans and I also love the city, so it’s very, very good to be here again.
“I love the atmosphere at Celtic Park and all the fits. Celtic is a very big club. The enthusiasts feed us so that we can score one more goal or win the game at home. The last minute. “
Speaking ahead of Bernardo’s return, Brendan Rodgers told Sky Sports News that there is “still work to do” in the move window, but there is no need to panic:
“In transfers there are many moving parts, it is never as undeniable as seeing a player and simply bringing him in, but we hope that until the end of August the team will be whoever we want.
“You can’t sleep in this game of football, you have to expand and improve. We need to make sure we have an advanced team for this season to face all the demanding situations we have.
“Everyone would like to do their homework as soon as possible. We’d like to see everything done for the first game of the season, but that doesn’t end up being the case.
“Hopefully we can be much more powerful from August than we finished the season. “
Celtic begin their name defence at home against Kilmarnock on Sunday, on Sky Sports.
The 2024 summer move-in window is now open and will be Aug. 30 at 11 p. m. British time in England and 11:30 p. m. in Scotland.
The Premier League and the Scottish Premiership have brought forward the deadline to identify links with Europe’s top leagues. The final dates have been set after talks with the leagues of England, Germany, Italy, Spain and France.