Everton winger Bernard is ‘heading closer’ to leaving the club amid interest from three countries, according to the Liverpool Echo.
The lowdown
The Toffees signed Bernard from Shakhtar Donetsk ahead of the 2018/19 season on a free transfer.
He’s gone on to make 84 appearances for the club, scoring eight goals and providing seven assists (via Transfermarkt).
Last season, he was limited to just three Premier League starts, with a further nine appearances off the bench (via WhoScored).
Bernard has only a year remaining on his contract at Goodison Park and is valued at £10.8million by Transfermarkt.
The latest
Talks over the potential departure of the 28-year-old are said to be ‘ongoing’.
A club in the United Arab Emirates are keen on the Brazilian, who also has suitors in both Greece and Russia.
The report adds that the likely move will see Everton clear one of the ‘top earners’ from their wage bill – he is rumoured to be on £120k per-week, which is over £6m per-year.
The verdict
This deal makes sense for Everton. It will be a considerable boost to their coffers, and it won’t hurt them all that much on the field given the feeble impact he made last season.
Perhaps Bernard hoped that the change of manager at the club might yield more opportunities, but the reality is that he hasn’t done enough to be starting matches.
He’s a player who’s only shown rare glimpses, and his record for direct goal contributions is far from inspiring.
In other news, fans react to a potential incoming.
