Report reveals lengthy Celtic negotiations before Paulo Bernardo exit

Gornik Zabrze are said to have endured lengthy negotiations with Celtic before finally sealing a deal for Paulo Bernardo this summer.

🇭🇺 W Budapeszcie jest tak gorąco, że nawet Dunaj opadł z sił, wątły jest staruszek. Przed meczem Ferencvaros-Górnik.

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Rozmowy na temat Paulo Bernardo zaczęły się trzy tygodnie temu. Łukasz Milik w trakcie negocjacji z Celtikiem dwa razy wstawał od stołu, ale ostatecznie jest…

— Łukasz Olkowicz (@LukaszOlkowicz) August 5, 2026

With experience gained at both Benfica and Celtic across domestic and European competition, the Portuguese midfielder attracted interest from several clubs after departing the Hoops.

His eventual switch to the Polish side came as something of a surprise, but fresh reports have shed light on just how difficult the transfer proved to complete.

It appears the Ekstraklasa outfit had to remain patient throughout discussions.

According to Polish journalist Lukasz Olkowicz of Przeglad Sportowy, Gornik sporting director Lukas Milik twice abandoned negotiations with Celtic before returning to the table.

The report claims discussions stretched over a three-week period before an agreement was eventually struck.

Celtic have long been recognised for driving a hard bargain in transfer dealings, a reputation that has remained intact despite changes behind the scenes.

Backed by former Germany international Lukas Podolski, Gornik have invested heavily in their squad this summer while balancing a European qualifying campaign.

Their continental hopes suffered an early setback on Wednesday as they were beaten 1-0 by Ferencvaros in the first leg of their Europa League third qualifying round tie in Budapest.

Celtic are also understood to have knocked back a loan bid from Denmark for Bernardo during the January transfer window before handing him starts against Dundee and Stuttgart in the weeks that followed.

Despite that, the midfielder featured less prominently under Martin O’Neill than he had during Brendan Rodgers’ spell in charge, having originally been brought to Glasgow by the Irishman.

Bernardo nevertheless left a positive impression on supporters across his two-year stay, with one of his standout displays coming in the 3-0 Glasgow Derby victory over Rangers in September 2024.

He featured in every one of Celtic’s eight Champions League league-phase matches in Rodgers’ second season, including starts away to Borussia Dortmund and Dinamo Zagreb.

His opportunities became more limited later in Europe, however, as he was overlooked for both knockout ties against Bayern Munich and neither leg of this season’s qualifying clash with Kairat Almaty.

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