Few clubs in the country are better at turning modest investments into multi-million-pound sales than Celtic, the Scottish Premiership champions.
Known for their ability to nurture talent and sell at a premium, the club has developed a reputation for striking shrewd deals, then turning players into financial windfalls.
One of the most recent examples of this is Matt O’Riley. The midfielder, who joined Celtic from MK Dons for a modest £1.5 million, recently left the club for Brighton & Hove Albion in a deal reportedly worth £25 million. It’s the kind of profit Celtic have become accustomed to over the years.
In addition to O’Riley, the summer saw Celtic cash in on Jota, who was sold to Saudi Arabia for a fee in excess of £20 million.
But the list of players who have left the Glasgow giants for considerable fees doesn’t end there.
The club has seen talents like Liel Abada, Josip Juranovic, Odsonne Edouard, Moussa Dembélé, Virgil van Dijk, Victor Wanyama, Kristoffer Ajer, and Jeremie Frimpong all depart for hefty sums.
So, the question arises: who will be the next player to earn Celtic another significant payday?
One name that has circulated is Kyogo Furuhashi. The Japanese forward attracted the attention of Manchester City, who, HITC understands, were considering him as a potential replacement for Julian Alvarez.
Though no deal materialised, Furuhashi remains one of the top talents who could fetch a considerable fee in the future.
Another candidate is Cameron Carter-Vickers, the American defender whose performances have only increased his value.
Meanwhile, the impressive Nicolas Kuhn is also being tipped for big things, with his skillset likely to attract attention from bigger clubs.
But John Hartson, the Celtic legend, believes there’s another name that fans should be watching closely: Paulo Bernardo.
Speaking after Celtic’s 3-0 triumph over Rangers in the Old Firm derby before the September international break, Hartson was full of praise for the Portuguese midfielder.
“Brendan likes signing players that he feels he can improve. Brendan’s brilliant on the training ground and he likes to work with them,” Hartson told Go Radio.
“You look at Bernardo now, who was absolutely terrific (against Rangers). He will probably be the next £15m or £20m player to go from Celtic. He’s that good.”
Bernardo, who spent the 2023/24 season on loan from Benfica, was secured on a permanent deal for £3.5 million.
Initially, Celtic were expected to pay double that amount, but shrewd negotiations from the board saw the deal finalised at a cut-price figure.
Former Celtic striker Chris Sutton has since praised the club’s board for how they handled the negotiations.
Bernardo may not have the same natural flair as O’Riley, but he offers plenty to Celtic’s midfield. A former Portugal Under-21 international, the 21-year-old is known for his endless energy, a powerful shot from distance, and a well-rounded skill set.
His work rate and intelligence on the pitch have already caught the attention of many.
“Paulo is a very intelligent football player. He’s young, can develop, got loads to his game, can tackle, can defend and run, can pass the ball,” said Celtic captain Callum McGregor to the Daily Record.
“He can do everything! I really enjoyed playing alongside him last year. Yeah, we’re still good in that (midfield) area.”
Celtic have managed to retain the services of their key midfielders, including the highly-rated Reo Hatate. They also made an intriguing late addition on transfer deadline day with the arrival of Luke McCowan from Dundee.
The 26-year-old winger had impressed in the Premiership, and Hartson is excited about what he could bring to the squad.
“Listening to that attitude there, I think it’s very bullish,” Hartson said, praising McCowan’s ambition.
“He’s sending out a message that I haven’t come here to play second fiddle. He backs himself, which I think every player has to. That’s great. That’s the type of thing a manager actually wants to listen to. He’s got real character.”
While Hartson acknowledges McCowan might not walk straight into the starting XI, he believes the winger will get his chance.
“I don’t think he’ll play every game. I think he will have to bide his time because we saw how good Bernardo was against Rangers and then obviously Hatate and McGregor in there as well. But there’ll be injuries, there’ll be opportunities for him. There’s no doubt about that. I just like the fact that he’s backing himself really, really early.”
With talents like Bernardo, McCowan, and several others, Celtic’s model of developing players into high-value assets looks set to continue. The club’s ability to unearth and enhance talent remains one of the key reasons for their success on and off the pitch.