West Ham close in on club record deal for ex-Manchester United target

West Ham are on the brink of signing Lazio forward Felipe Anderson in a club-record deal worth £40m, reports The Daily Mail.

The Hammers have been locked in negotiations with Lazio for a number of months but talks appeared to have gone cold in recent weeks.

West Ham were hopeful of concluding a deal in the region of £30m but started to sound out alternatives after Lazio demanded more.

Reports emerged from Germany over the weekend claiming West Ham were after Borussia Dortmund winger Andriy Yarmolenko in a deal worth around £30m.

However, West Ham have now returned to Lazio and tabled an increased offer worth £38m that will shatter their club-transfer record.

Manuel Pellegrini’s side made Marko Arnautovic the most expensive player in the club’s history 12 months ago after shelling out £25m.

Anderson was previously linked with a move to Manchester United but his stock has diminished over the last two seasons.

The 25-year-old missed the first few months of last season through injury and failed to completely win back his place in the starting XI.

Anderson made 21 appearances in Serie A last season but was limited to just nine starts in that time. Despite limited game time, he still managed a direct hand in 11 goals (four goals, seven assists).

Furthermore, Anderson required the fewest minutes per successful dribble (25+ attempted) in Serie A last season (1 every 14.8 minutes of action).