Internacional have vowed that they will do everything in their power to retain the services of Celtic loan star Alexandro Bernabei – despite the reported £8million price tag slapped on the full back by the Hoops.
Bernabei, 24, was brought to Parkhead by Ange Postecoglou for £3.8million from Argentine club Lanus in July 2022 and made 19 appearances in all competitions in his first season. However the former Argentina U23 international fell out of favour under the Aussie’s successor Brendan Rodgers, and returned to South America in a loan deal until the end of 2024 back in March.
The wing-back has recaptured his form in Brazil with Internacional, registering three goals and three assists in 20 matches, with some reports in his homeland tipping him for a shock call-up to Lionel Scaloni’s Argentina squad. Internacional’s executive director Andre Mazzuco recognises that the finances involved might make a permanent deal for Bernabei difficult but insists they are trying to reach an agreement with Celtic.
He said: “He is one of our main players. It is known that it is a hard deal to be closed due to the contract agreement. “The control is with Celtic. We’ll make all the effort we can. It’s our goal to keep him.”
Elsewhere a former Premier League striker admits he was left in ‘awe’ by Nicolas Kuhn’s dazzling display for the Hoops against RB Leipzig. The German winger continued his electric start to the campaign by netting twice in the 3-1 win at Celtic Park, as Rodgers’ men claimed their second Champions League win in four matches, boosting hopes of qualification to the knockout rounds.
Ex Liverpool, Aston Villa and Benfica star Dean Saunders was blown away by Kuhn’s performance and hailed the ‘infectious’ wide man as one of the three men who players who impressed him the most in the Champions League on Tuesday night, naming Liverpool’s Luis Diaz and Manchester United’s incoming manager Ruben Amorim – who led Sporting Lisbon to a 4-1 win against Manchester City as his two other ‘diamonds’.
Speaking on talkSPORT, he said: “My three diamonds, number one, I’m going to start with Kuhn at Celtic. Amazing performance last night. I’m going to give it to him, and you need players like that to set you off. Work rate, you know, is infectious. Enthusiasm is infectious.
“There’s only one thing more infectious than enthusiasm. It’s lack of enthusiasm, which some teams get. But he took the team forward last night and a great performance. So he’s my first one.”