Bernard: Why Liverpool & Arsenal Are Fighting Over Brazilian Wonderkid

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The race for the Premier League top four might be over for another year, but there is still quite the battle going on behind the scenes, as we approach the start of the World Cup.

Brazilian midfield maestro Bernard has been plying his trade for Shakhtar Donetsk in the Ukrainian Premier League since the summer, but has so far only shown glimpses of his talent under Mircea Lucescu.

Despite that relatively slow adjustment, the ex-Atletico Mineiro maestro has still made Luis Filipe Scolari’s World Cup squad, in front of the likes of Kaka and Robinho, and his pace and skill is likely to cause some serious headaches this summer.

Arsenal and Liverpool are reportedly keeping tabs on the Samba star (he’s Brazilian, so he must like Samba music - and nuts, probably) and are ready to offer him a big sack of cash, and a lovely place to store it, in either Merseyside, or North London.

Bernard has already gone public on his anxiety regarding the current political troubles in Ukraine, and has even spoken to the Brazilian ambassador (I bet he likes Samba, too) about putting an exit plan into place should things go from bad to worse.

Apparently, Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers is already making eyes at the star, and putting together a mixtape of, you guessed it, Samba music, in the hope that it may convince him to move to the Premier League - because he definitely doesn’t have enough midfielders at Anfield.

But the Daily Mirror reports that Arsene Wenger, who has been tracking the Brazilian for a couple of seasons, and made one attempt to snaffle him before his move to the Ukraine, is readying another bid - and is even willing to wrestle Rodgers for his services.*

*probably.

Follow Jonno on Twitter at @jonnot

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