Former Celtic player Chris Sutton has expressed strong opinions about Paolo Bernardo’s loan at Celtic, highlighting concerns over the player’s impact since joining the club.

Bernardo, who was signed at the end of the summer transfer window on a season-long loan with an option to buy, has had opportunities in significant matches, including appearances in every Champions League game for Celtic, starting in two of them. However, his league appearances have been limited, with only five showings so far.

Sutton’s critique in the Daily Record addresses not only Bernardo’s performance but also the broader issue of player recruitment at Celtic. He suggests that the quality of players signed has not met expectations. While acknowledging the role of Mark Lawwell and the recruitment team, Sutton ultimately places the responsibility on the manager, Brendan Rodgers, as the final decision-maker in signings. According to Sutton, the issue lies either in the quality of the players signed or in Rodgers’ inability to extract the best from them.

He wrote, “It’s obvious the quality of those signed has been nowhere near high enough, but, whatever the work done by Mark Lawwell and his recruitment staff in that window and the money spent or not spent, the final say on signing them lies with the manager. That’s what we’ve all been told and, therefore, they are his responsibility. And they’ve either not been good enough or Rodgers hasn’t been able to get the best out of them.

“I’m not going to go through them all, but case in point is Paulo Bernardo. I can’t think of one memorable thing the lad has done since he signed. Don’t say he’s just a loan. Jota and Cameron Carter-Vickers were just loans in the beginning. Clearly, you can source outstanding loan players.”