Chelsea turn their attention from Russian star to Brazilian free agent

Chelsea have switched their attention from Aleksandr Golovin to Brazilian midfielder Bernard, according to Globo Esporte (h/t Metro).

Chelsea seemed to be the destination for Golovin but the Russian seems set to join Monaco. However, Chelsea are ready to make a move and sign Bernard on a free transfer.

The 25-year-old scored 10 goals for Shakhtar last season, which was his best return in Europe, and is available on a free transfer after five years at the club.

The report claims that the Brazil international received 12 offers from clubs which included West Ham, Wolfsburg and Leicester City. However, the Brazilian is set to choose Chelsea as he prefers a move to London and is attracted by the lucrative contract too.

The 25-year-old did take part in the 2014 World Cup with Brazil but has not featured for them since. The midfielder would probably be one of the more economical signings we could make in the summer and he could turn out to be a decent buy if Maurizio Sarri gets the best out of him.

The 25-year-old can play on the left-hand side of the midfield or through the middle and would probably feature on the bench initially.

There isn’t a lot of time for us to drag the transfer negotiations as we only have a couple of weeks before the transfer window closes.

Read more: “Finished club”: Some Chelsea fans go into Twitter meltdown after club confirm second summer signing

Bernard might not be the name on everyone’s lips but he could be a low-risk signing given that we don’t have to pay any transfer fee for him.