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"When you score, you make the Celtic sing.

Jota on the wing, Jota Jota on the wing. 

Every time you're on the ball we know.

There's gonna be a goal Our superstar from Portugal!"

It's been a while since the Celtic supporters sang that particular refrain.

Celtic fans favourite Jota, 24, completed an incredible £25 million switch to Saudi Arabian club Al-Ittihad in the summer after two wonderful years in Glasgow where he helped Celtic clinch a League and League Cup double in his first term and a world record eight domestic treble in the second season under Ange Postecoglou.

Now Celtic could be set to drink from the Benfica well again as the club makes moves to secure 21-year-old midfielder Paulo Bernardo.

A project player? No?

First-team ready? Most definitely.

After all not many had heard of Jota before he had come to these shores - had they?

The Benfica midfielder is reputedly in talks with the Scottish champions over a loan switch.

Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers is desperately keen to bolster his squad's quality levels before the transfer window closes on Friday.

Although Bernardo may well be priced out of a permanent move away from the Estadio da Luz as he currently has a contract until the summer of 2027 and allegedly has a release clause of €100 million.

Benfica manager Roger Schmidt is keen for Bernardo to sample regular first-team football and he is unlikely to feature for the first-team anytime soon.

Like Jota, the Lisbon native has been with Benfica since he was seven years old and progressed through the youth system before signing a pro contract in February 2018.

He made his debut as a substitute in November 2021, coming off the bench during a 5-2 Champions League defeat to Bayern Munich and has been regular for the B team.

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Jota also found the Benfica first-team a hard nut to crack as Bernardo has only played on 17 occasions which led to a loan spell with Pacos de Fereira during the second half of last season to see him get more experience under his belt. A fresh start in Scotland with Celtic could be just what all parties need as Bernardo seeks to kick on and showcase his top-team credentials.

Could Bernardo be tempted by the prospect of regular first-team football at Celtic and a crack at the Champions League group stage?

Celtic enquired about the player earlier this summer and a season-long loan deal was floated with a £ 7 million option to buy included.

Jota's loan deal came armed with a £6.5 million option to buy. It wasn't rich enough for Celtic then as they concluded a deal and it is certainly not rich enough for the club coffers now.

His profile certainly seems to tick a lot of boxes that Rodgers needs in his lineup right now.

A ball-playing midfielder - check.

A player who doesn't tend to sit deep but rather tries and break the lines and affect the game in the final third - check.

A long-range passing specialist with a 59.3 per cent success rate in the creation of counterattacks and a 52.5 per cent success rate with dribbles - check.

Effective from dead-ball situations both free-kicks and corners - check.

Both Benfica and Celtic were winners out of the Jota deal.

Celtic got two wonderful and highly successful years from a precociously talented player and Benfica reaped the rewards from the shrewd sell-on clause.

Is this the new way for Scottish clubs to do business? Is this the way forward?

For years clubs like Celtic have constantly bemoaned that European giants have pilfered their own youth players and swallowed them up in their systems.

Perhaps it is time to buck that trend and understand that when it comes to competing for high-end players they cost multi-millions which Scottish clubs simply cannot afford.

Celtic can circumvent the process by making the most of the option to buy clauses on the cream of young players from the likes of Benfica, Sporting Lisbon, Porto, Ajax and Feyenoord's of this world.

Youth system prodigies like Jota and Bernardo who are highly-talented but can't quite make the first team breakthrough.

What better stage than to come to Scotland and showcase your wears and play in a world-renowned derby match as well as cut our teeth in the greatest club competition on earth - the Champions League group stage?

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Bernardo only needs to look to compatriot Jota as to what Celtic could do for his own career.

It could take it stratospheric.

Successfully plying your trade in the Scottish Premiership for two or three seasons maximum could be the stepping stone to unlocking the riches of the English Premier League or the gateway to Spain, France, Italy or Germany for that matter.

Jota understood that fully when he signed on the dotted line.

It was a no-brainer for Jota who ended up with a move that saw generational wealth thrown in for good measure.

Jota fell in love with Celtic. "I'll love you for life...Forever yours."

Those were the player's own words in an emotional parting of ways on social media site Instagram.

Celtic fans just always have to work on the premise that these types of players in a monopoly style are passing go and collecting £200 on the way.

As long as they give their all for Celtic whilst they are here then everyone's a winner.

Benfica and Celtic might just have stumbled upon the perfect football/working/sporting/business arrangement.

Could lightning really strike twice for Celtic with regards to Bernado?

Will Bernardo become the next Celtic superstar from Portugal?