According to Team Talk, Chelsea are pursuing the signing of Bernard, who is a free agent following the expiry of his contract with Shakhtar Donetsk.

It is thought that the Brazilian is being lined up as a replacement for Willian, should his compatriot leave Stamford Bridge this summer.

Bernard has left Shakhtar Donetsk after 5 trophy-laden terms with the Ukrainian giants. However, he has not been selected for the Brazilian national team since their 7-1 humiliation suffered at the hands of Germany in the 2014 World Cup.

If the 25-year-old is to have any hope of forcing his way back into contention for the Selecao, then he must surely make his mark in a more major division.

Whilst a switch to the Premier League would suit Bernard, Chelsea have to set their sights higher than the former Shakhtar man.

The Breakdown

In the event that Willian does depart from the Blues this summer, Bernard is not of the requisite quality to be able to take his place in the squad.

As a squad player, there simply to provide a rotation option, Sarri could make good use of Bernard. However, it is likely that Chelsea fans would prefer to see that kind of game time being afforded to the likes of Callum Hudson-Odoi instead.

In either case, Chelsea would be doing themselves a disservice in signing Bernard. Willian would need replacing with a much superior player, and the back up role should be handed over to one of the many highly promising youngsters who for so long have struggled to get a look in at the club.

This new era under Sarri could be set to make the same mistake of holding young prospects back as previous regimes have.