Report explains what’s missing for West Ham to sell £85k-a-week man, deal virtually done

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Felipe Anderson is set to return to Lazio this summer after West Ham United agreed to sell their former record signing for just £2.5m, according to Calciomercato.

The Hammers paid Lazio £36m to sign the Brazilian only three years ago during Manuel Pellegrini’s first window in charge. It eclipsed the £22m they had already paid Toulouse that summer for Issa Diop, and has only been overtaken by the £45m spent on Sebastien Haller.

But like Haller, who left West Ham after 18-months to join Ajax in January, Anderson’s time has not worked out. After striking nine goals and offering four assists in his debut Premier League season, the winger only offered one goal and four assists the following term.

David Moyes saw enough from Anderson in seven months together to send the West Ham flop on loan to Porto. But the two-cap international failed to impress with no goals and one assist in 10 appearances, starting only five.

And with his £85,000-per-week contract expiring in 2022, the Irons have decided to call it quits and cash in. West Ham have agreed to sell Anderson to Lazio for just €3m (£2.5m), plus 50% of any future transfer fee.

All that is missing for Anderson to be a Lazio player again is a few details in the structure of their deal with West Ham, as an agreement is virtually done. Once those are ironed out, the forward will fly to Italy and start preparing for the new Serie A season.

Anderson returning to Lazio caps a costly year for West Ham

Anderson returning to Lazio for just £2.5m caps a costly year for West Ham, but it could have been worse. TuttoMercatoWEB claimed the Hammers had agreed to part with the Brazilian for free, plus the 50% sell-on clause.

Either deal is a disaster, though, having spent big to bring the 28-year-old to east London only three years ago. Now, David Sullivan and the Irons board are seeing next to no return on their lucrative investment from Pellegrini’s tenure.

Added with the £25m lost through Haller, West Ham will have lost £58.5m in transfer fees should Anderson join Lazio. The duo have been a black hole for the club’s finances that Sullivan will want to forget quickly.