West Ham have tabled a contract offer to Brazil forward Bernard as they aim to sign him on a free transfer, according to Esporte.
The Brazilian publication claim the Hammers are battling with Chinese club Jiangsu Suning for the capture of the 25-year-old, who left Shakhtar Donetsk when his contract expired last month.
Esporte report Bernard is studying the proposal from West Ham and his representatives Adriano Spadoto and Giuliano Bertolucci have jetted into Europe to hold discussions.
Good move for West Ham?
Definitely. Bernard is a notable talent who Manuel Pellegrini reportedly wanted to sign while he managed in China. Capped 15 times by Brazil, he is entering his peak years after spending the last five years in Ukraine, where he was a key player for Champions League regulars Donetsk. In 157 matches for the club, the left-sided forward scored 28 goals and supplied 35 assists, with the 2017-18 campaign yielding 10 goals from 29 appearances before he suffered a shoulder injury at the start of March that prematurely ended his season. Given the failure to push through the on-off transfer of Felipe Anderson, Bernard would represent a top-class alternative. He would also have the major advantage of being £40million cheaper.
This Is Futbol rating 8/10
Likely to happen?
Given that Bernard would come without a transfer fee, it is highly possible, although the Hammers will need to offer him a highly lucrative contract to win the race. There will be wariness among the club’s hierarchy that Jiangsu Suning are also in the race. They have showed in the past they are willing to spend seriously big to land marquee playing talent.
This Is Futbol rating 6/10