Everton looks to have beaten AC Milan to the signature of winger Bernard

Well, it looks like the riches of the Premier League have tempted yet another player to ply their trade in England.

It’s being reported that Brazilian winger Bernard, who is current out of contract after refusing to sign a new contract at Shakhtar Donestk, is currently headed to Merseyside to sign for Everton.

Bernard had been heavily linked with a move to AC Milan, and it appeared over the weekend that Milan had beaten Chelsea to the winger’s signature, with the player preferring a move to Serie A over the Premier League. He’d also been linked with Atlético Madrid and West Ham United, although links hadn’t looked as likely as Milan or Chelsea.

It now, however, appears that a last-minute intervention by Everton boss Marco Silva has convinced the winger to come to Everton. Well, that and perhaps a bigger pay packet.

Bernard’s wage demands were rumored to be steep, and while it’s a little disappointing to see Milan lose out on a potential target, the resources will be better used finding a new midfielder, even if Bernard didn’t require a transfer fee to be paid to his current club. Even without a transfer fee, “free” transfers are rarely actually free, with an agent usually demanding a large cash payment to make the deal happen.

Milan has already had to get creative with loans and free agent signings so far this summer, and Milan are in dire need of a defensive midfielder or at least an alternative to Lucas Biglia and Manuel Locatelli. Milan already has Suso and Hakan Çalhanoğlu as good options on the wing, and Fabio Borini can also play out on the wing. Bernard would have been a luxury signing and he might have been good at Milan, as shown by the preseason matches, solidifying the midfield is the bigger need right now.