Everton have had a truly excellent start to the season.
Carlo Ancelotti’s side have been in fine form at the beginning of the season and are actually top of the league; they have won all four of their opening four games.
They beat Tottenham Hotspur 1-0 in their first fixture of the season, thumped West Brom 5-2, then beat Crystal Palace 2-1 and Brighton & Hove Albion 4-2.
The signings made this summer have increased excitement around the club, as a number of brilliant midfielders have arrived on Merseyside.
James Rodriguez has arrived from Real Madrid, while Abdoulaye Doucoure and Allan have also signed, along with defenders Ben Godfrey from Norwich City and Niels Nkounkou from Marseille, and goalkeeper Robin Olsen from AS Roma.
Morgan Schneiderlin, Kieran Dowell, Moise Kean, Sandro Ramirez, Maarten Stekelenburg, The Walcott, Leighton Baines, Cuco Martina, and Oumar Niasse have all left, too, in a squad restructuring that has helped manager Carlo Ancelotti completely reshape his selection.
One player who could have left is Bernard, the Brazilian winger, with interest in him from a number of clubs in Europe.
Roma had made an enquiry about signing the winger in a deal that could have totalled £7m.
But the Liverpool Echo reports that Ancelotti informed Bernard that he believes he can be a key member of his squad as the season progresses.
The 28-year-old has yet to play for the Toffees in the league this season, but he has been on the bench in every league game.
Everton had made it clear to the player that they want him to stay and fight for his place, and he will now be out to do just that.
GIVEMESPORT’S Harry Sherlock says…
Bernard is a very nice squad option for Everton to have.
The player is capable of the sublime; he is skillful, quick, and capable of turning defences inside out both with his movement and with his passing.
He has made a total of 68 appearances for the squad, scoring six goals and registering seven assists, and as an option on the bench, there are few better options for the Toffees.
It remains to be seen, of course, if he will be happy to play the role of back-up throughout the season, but for now, it appears he will be staying put.
And that means Ancelotti has the chance to unleash a secret weapon whenever a game is not going Everton’s way.
That cannot be a bad thing.