Excitement is building amongst the West Ham United fans in the Transfer Tavern as their club look set to confirm the signing of Felipe Anderson from Lazio, but there is reason to suggest that a better value for money deal is staring them in the face.
According to Sky Sports, West Ham have agreed a £26 million fee with Lazio for Felipe Anderson’s services, and representatives from the Serie A club are set to fly to London on Thursday to to finalise a deal. The news has naturally been met with delight by the Hammers faithful lining up our bar who were mightily impressed by his form in Serie A last season in which he notched 4 goals and provided 7 assists from just 9 starts.
Now that Manuel Lanzini has been ruled out for 9 months with a cruciate ligament injury, the importance of adding creative quality to West Ham’s squad is of paramount importance this summer, but Manuel Pellegrini also has other issues to address.
Central midfield was an area of notable weakness for the Hammers last season so they must add significant quality in that position to ensure they steer well clear of a relegation battle next season.
With that being said, West Ham should do everything in their power to convince Jack Wilshere (valued at £18 million by Transfermarkt) to join the club this summer when his contract with Arsenal expires.
Although no official announcement has been made regarding Wilshere’s future, it seems increasingly likely that he will leave the Emirates when his contract expires and West Ham would be foolish not to capitalise on his availability.
On paper Felipe Anderson represents a huge coup for West Ham, but making the transition to the Premier League has often proven to be a difficult task in the past for players moving across the continent, so there is no guarantee that he will be able to replicate his fine form from Italy following his transfer.
On the other hand, Wilshere has proven himself in the Premier League as a technical playmaker who injects creativity and guile into the midfield, something which was blatantly missing from West Ham’s performances last season.
Pellegrini’s aesthetically appealing style of possession is well-aligned with Wilshere’s style, and considering he should be available on a free transfer this summer the Hammers could top their Felipe Anderson deal by bringing the England international to East London.
West Ham fans – thoughts? Let us know below!
