Arriving on a free transfer from Shakhtar Donetsk in 2018, Bernard seemed like a great deal for Everton, who appeared to beat a host of clubs to acquire the Brazilian.
The reality, however, has been a bit different, as the winger has never managed to replicate the same form in England as he did in Ukraine, managing just seven goals and seven assists in 74 appearances for the Toffees.
He’s been given chances by Carlo Ancelotti here and there, but it’s clear the Italian manager has other preferences in the squad for his tactics, leading to rumours of a potential exit for Bernard.
One man who would be glad to be reunited with the forward is Paulo Fonseca, currently the man in charge at AS Roma, who worked with him at Shakhtar.
There’s been a host of stories of interest, all differing in their potential outcomes, such as Calciomercato.it claiming the Everton man is the Portuguese manager’s ‘first choice’ to bolster the attack, but there has been ‘no new contacts’ between the Serie A side and the player’s entourage.
Corriere dello Sport are a tad more optimistic on Thursday, although they make it clear it would be difficult to get him on a straight loan.
However, they add Everton ‘could negotiate a loan with an obligation to buy’, although there’s no mention of how much Marcel Brands and co. would ask for regarding the clause.
This move is definitely still something that could happen, but it would be all about finding the right figures to please both parties.
