Opinion, Alexandro Bernabei: Should I stay or should I go now?

This is a question which divides the Celtic support. In this case the 5 potential pros are considered, then the 5 potential drawbacks are weighed against this.

5 potential pros

1. Best left back in the Brazilian League.

In Alexandro Bernabei Celtic would be getting the best left back in the Brazilian League into their ranks. This is a very strong league so this is a major coup. A player of that calibre would typically cost £10-15m to be bought by a European club, so in some senses it is a no-brainer to bring a player of this standard back into the squad.

2. Gives a strong 3-5-2 option

Greg Taylor struggles playing left wing back, however, this is Bernabei’s best position. Bernabei coming back could give this option to play this system extremely effectively. Modern day football isn't about the first 11, but the first 16, with subs so often decisive. This could allow Celtic to play, Schmeichel; CCV, Trusty, Scales; Johnston, Bernabei; McGregor, Engels, Hatate; Kuhn, Maeda, then have the strong options of Taylor, Idah, Kyogo, McCowan, Bernardo, Forrest coming off the bench in the last 30 minutes. Celtic showed in Atalanta that they can defend deep, so this formation could be a serious one to consider if the team reach the knockouts of the Champions League & they are realistic about beating one of the elite teams, particularly in the away leg. It could be an option to keep the 4-3-3 fresh & keep the opposition guessing on the formation to be played.

3. History of players of similar age returning & doing well

There is a history of players around the same age as Bernabei going out on loan to get 50 games under their belt, or reaching the key milestone of 150 senior games to become an established professional, then blossoming into a first team stalwart capable of winning cups & performing on the Champions League/Europa League stage. The stand-out examples are Christie, Ralston & Scales.

4. Gives a left-winger option if Palma or Yang leave

If Yang or Palma were to leave on loan in January to seek to get regular first team football, then Bernabei could easily fill in at left wing. Given his strong pedigree of goals & assists in Brazil, along with his elite running power levels which were never a problem in his first stint, he seems a better option than Palma & Yang. He could be a solid option, particularly if Maeda was playing at right wing with Bernabei able to link with Valle/Taylor to put balls across for him & the main striker.

5. Excellent attitude & work-rate

The one thing that was always a constant with Bernabei was that he had an excellent attitude & great work-rate. Taking a player like that back into the squad poses little to no risk.

5 potential drawbacks

1. Weakness is in the air is still likely to be there

Bernabei in his first stint was not suited to the Scottish game. The opposition kept hitting long diagonal balls towards him & he was beaten in the air regularly putting the team under pressure (in Brazil no teams play this long diagonal ball tactic). This may not be about to change.

2. Struggled to adapt to Scottish weather/food/culture

Some Latin players struggle to adapt the cold Scottish weather, food, culture, with the classic example of course being Rafeal Scheidt; other Latin players like Samaras, Izaguirre, Di Canio, Jota etc fit in perfectly. It is an enigma. Bernabei may just be the category of player who does not settle in the cold countries like Scotland.

3. High value may drop

Bernabei’s value is currently high. If he were to come back, and the same weaknesses as above manifest were to themselves again, then his value may drop again where the only option is to allow him to leave on loan. It may be as well to cash in whilst the price is high.

4. May just be time for a fresh start

There are of course examples of players who have done reasonably well out on loan & then returned, but it has still not worked out for them. The most recent ones being Mikey Johnston & Bosun Lawal. Sometimes it happens in life that there is no problem you can put your finger on, but it is just that a fresh start in a new environment is needed. In the social media world we now live sometimes when things haven’t worked out, it can be best just to move on. It may just be that it is time for a fresh start for Bernabei.

5. May unsettle Taylor & Valle dynamic

The squad balance down the left with Taylor & Valle has been quite good so far. Taylor has been the regular starter, but Valle has then come in & done extremely well, like for example against Club Brugges where he was outstanding for the last half an hour of the game, as well as away in Atalanta when he was excellent as well. If Bernabei comes back it may unsettle this. Taylor’s contract is however running down, so if an offer comes in for Taylor in January which suits both parties, Bernabei may be the fallback option.

Conclusion

My opinion would be, ‘yes’ – bring Alexandro Bernabei back into the Celtic 1st team squad until the end of the season to see how he does. The key factor is that Brendan Rodgers always said Bernabei had a great attitude & work-rate every day in training, so it is no risk at all to take him back for the last 4-5 months of the season as a very solid option at left back, left wing-back, and left wing to see how he does. Even if Bernabei does not do great on his return, his value will still at worst drop from around £4.5 - £5m (like it probably is realistically right now) to around £2-3m, and then he can be sold to the Spanish, Italian, Belgian, MLS, or Brazilian League at that stage. It is worth a £2-3m gamble on Bernabei to see if Bernabei can be a £10m full-back replicating his Brazilian performances in Scotland/Europe. It seems unlikely he will be bought by Internacional; it seems likely that Bernabei will return to the Celtic fold until the end of January at the least.