West Ham Reportedly Set to Make Club Record Bid for Lazio Forward Felipe Anderson

West Ham’s proposed deal for Felipe Anderson has inched ever closer after the London club increased their bid to €40m for the attacking midfield star.

The Brazilian international has been lighting up Serie A since his 2011, he moved to Lazio two years later where he has shot to prominence. Anderson has 34 goals from 177 appearances for the Italian club, including eight last season as he helped guide Lazio to a fifth-place finish, narrowly missing out on Champions League qualification.

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West Ham have been chasing a deal for the 25-year-old playmaker this summer but it looked unlikely as they were unwilling to meet his clubs €50m valuation. It appears as though the two clubs have reached a compromise though with Lazio expected to accept West Ham’s latest offer for their star.

Sky Sports’ Italian correspondent Gianluca Di Marzio that the Hammers recently increased their offer to €40m plus a series of achievable bonuses. These add-ons include payments for when the player makes his third and fifth appearances for West Ham.

Lazio chairman Claudio Lotito is apparently ready to green light the deal and has identified Sporting CP’s Gelson Martins as an ideal replacement. Martins is a target for Arsenal this summer and he could be available for free, as he looks to terminate his contract with his current club following the infamous attack on the training ground.

Manuel Pellegrini is also looking to add Shakhtar Donetsk playmaker Bernard to his options this summer. The fellow Brazilian playmaker could join Anderson at the Olympic Stadium on a free transfer after his contract expired with the Ukrainian club.

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Pellegrini is eager to bolster that number 10 position after Manuel Lanzini was ruled out for the entirety of next season with a knee injury he picked up representing Argentina.