South American expert’s words of comfort for West Ham after missing out to Everton for Bernard

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Everton beat West Ham United to the signing of Brazilian Bernard during the summer window.

According to the likes of The Daily Mail, West Ham were hoping to sign Bernard on a free transfer before the window slammed shut.

Everton boss Marco Silva had other ideas, though.

The Toffees swooped to seal the 25-year-old’s signature after he left Shakhtar Dontesk.

Bernard completed a hugely impressive deadline day for the Merseysiders.

The Hammers brought in £100 million of talent during the window including attackers Lucas Perez, Felipe Anderson and Andriy Yarmolenko.

South American expert expresses Bernard doubts

Nevertheless some fans were disappointed to miss out to Everton for Bernard.

But West Ham can take comfort from South American football expert Tim Vickery’s assessment of Bernard in The Sun.

After 24 years living in Rio reporting on football, Vickery knows a thing or two about the country’s exported talents.

And he has doubts over Bernard’s ability to cut it in the Premier League.

Recalling the forward’s emergence in Brazil during a late cameo against in a friendly against England which re-opened Rio’s iconic Maracana stadium back in 2013, something stuck with Vickery.

“In the press conference after the 2-2 draw, then-Brazil coach Luiz Felipe Scolari said that Bernard had come up to him, wide eyed,” Vickery told The Sun.

“Wow, coach,” he had said, “It’s much more intense than a club game.”

‘Not an overwhelming success’

“It is a highly revealing comment. At that point Bernard, then with Atletico Mineiro, was well on the way towards winning the Copa Libertadores, South America’s equivalent of the Champions League.

“In terms of the continent’s club football, there is no higher peak to be scaled. But he found the closing stages of an end of season friendly to be a significant step up.

“Bernard, a skilful but much less imposing figure, whose time with Shaktah Donetsk was not an overwhelming success.

“Can he now shine with Everton? Or, like that time in the Maracana back in 2013, will he wear the air of a little boy lost?

Question marks over Anderson and Balbuena too

It’s not all good news for West Ham, though.

Vickery recently raised doubts over the ability of record signing Felipe Anderson and Fabian Balbuena to shine in England.

There was some better news for Toffee fans as Vickery backed Richarlison to prove a big hit at Goodison Park.