Celtic have reportedly expressed an interest in signing 20-year-old Gremio midfielder Fernando Henrique, who can leave the Brazilian giants in January.
According to O Globo, the Scottish giants have ‘made contact’ with the Porto Alegre side over the defensive midfielder. As per the report, Fernando Henrique has a release clause of €40m (£33m). However, Gremio are open to selling him in the winter for much less.
Fernando Henrique was once considered one of the top prospects for Gremio. The youngster has represented Brazil at multiple youth levels. But, his development has stalled over recent months due to a mix of injuries and lack of regular first-team minutes.
With Brazilian clubs one of the worst-hit in football due to the pandemic, the likes of Gremio are eager to offload players to balance the books. And Celtic’s interest in Fernando Henrique could be a lifesaver.
And as per the report, Celtic could sign the 20-year-old for as little as £3.6m. With the midfielder a youth international for Brazil, the prospect could also find a move to the Scottish giants easy based on new Brexit rules for foreign transfers.
Whilst Fernando Henrique has not played since mid-September, the youngster is still quite highly rated. The midfielder was linked to a move with City Football Group earlier this year, the ownership group that owns the likes of Manchester City, New York City FC and Girona.
Fernando Henrique could be a great signing for Celtic
At 20-years-old and already a youth international with Brazil, Fernando Henrique could be a brilliant addition to Celtic and the Scottish Premiership.
Whilst Brexit has had its problems for European signings, Celtic bringing Fernando Henrique could be another example of how other markets around the world are now easier to shop around because of the restrictions. And at £3.6m, the Hoops have nothing to lose in the midfielder.
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