Alexandro Bernabei has been one of the surprises of the year.
The Celtic defender may not have succeeded in Glasgow this season but his time on loan in Brazil has been a really interesting saga to watch play out from afar.
Bernabei was named in the Brazilian Serie A’s team of the season in what was considered a prestigious honour for a player who struggled in Glasgow before being farmed out.
He is now expected to rake in around £8million for the Hoops having joined back in 2022 for around £2.5m.
Internacional, his loan club, want to keep Bernabei and their sporting director has already confirmed they are in talks with Celts over a permanent switch.
Now, however, reports in Brazil suggest they are growing weary with negotiations as their financial difficulties have been laid bare.
And other clubs are believed to be keen on taking the fiery left-back away from Parkhead as he remains in high transfer demand with the January window opening in just over one week’s time.
Internacional have issued Celtic a ‘take it or leave it’ deal on Bernabei
Palmeiras have been named this week as one club who are waiting in the wings to take the Argentine should a deal with Internacional become more difficult.
According to similar Brazilian reports, a £7m agreement was previously in place with Internacional but there is a deadline on that deal and Palmeiras are waiting for that to expire before making their move.
They would seemingly have little difficulty in raising the funds to sign the Hoops outcast having been bankrolled by businesswoman Leila Pereira who has been named among the top 10 richest people in the country.
What Brendan Rodgers has said about Bernabei’s Celtic future
We told how Brendan Rodgers had addressed Bernabei’s future as he stopped short of confirming whether or not the 24-year-old might ever be given another opportunity to play for Celtic.
The Northern Irishman said: “I think it’s great that he’s gone away and done well and sometimes you just find that.
“I think he’d been here for a period of time it hadn’t worked out as probably what he or the club would have wanted and sometimes that happens you go away, you go back into a different culture or a different life and back into obviously South America for him and the reports that I hear is that he’s done well.
“But there’s nothing more to add than that. He’ll finish his spell there and then we’ll look at that and see where that’s at come January.
