According to reports in the Daily Mail, West Ham United have launched an ambitious £35m-plus bid to sign Lazio attacker Felipe Anderson.
What’s the word, then?
Well, the Daily Mail says that talks are already underway between the two clubs with the Brazilian, who has played as a winger, attacking midfielder and striker for the Italian side, keen to play in the Premier League under new Irons boss Manuel Pellegrini.
The Daily Mail says that the 25-year-old has been targeted by Chelsea and Manchester United in the past, and has been one of the outstanding performers in Serie A in recent years.
The report adds that the east London club are determined to give Pellegrini a strong base to work from and want to wrap up a number of signings quickly – especially with the 2018 Russia World Cup just around the corner.
How did Anderson do this season?
It was another impressive campaign for the Brazilian, who scored eight goals and provided a further 10 assists in 32 appearances in all competitions for Lazio.
The 25-year-old has 34 goals and 42 assists in 177 outings in total for the Serie A outfit since joining them from Santos in 2013.
According to WhoScored.com, his main strengths are his dribbling ability and his key passes, while he is also effective from a defensive point of view – something that may be important to Pellegrini.
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Would he be a good signing for West Ham?
He would be a huge signing for them, and probably the best one since they brought the talented Dimitri Payet to east London.
It would be a big statement to both Pellegrini and the rest of the Premier League that the Irons mean business next season, and his arrival at the London Stadium would suggest the Hammers are ready to not only finish as the best of the rest in the top flight, but also push for a top-six finish – something that may well be achievable seeing as they don’t have any European football as a distraction like their competitors do.
The signing would be exciting for the supporters, who have urged their club to splash out £26m on another 25-year-old star, and he could be a massively influential attacking player alongside the likes of Javier Hernandez, Marko Arnautovic and Manuel Lanzini.
