According to Football Insider (h/t Daily Record), Arsenal are interested in signing West Ham star Felipe Anderson before the transfer window closes.
The report suggests that the Hammers are willing to sell the Brazilian, with Gunners boss Mikel Arteta being a big fan of Anderson. However, a few weeks back, Football Insider (h/t Daily Star) claimed that Lazio are also interested in re-signing Anderson.
Born in Brazil, Anderson came through the ranks of Santos’ youth system and made 68 appearances with the club’s senior squad. In the process, he helped the Brazilian outfit lift the Copa Libertadores title and the Recopa Sudamericana trophy before joining Lazio in the summer of 2013.
He immediately established himself as a key member of the Italian side and made 177 appearances in his five years in Italy before moving to West Ham in a £36m deal. The Brazilian did a decent job in his debut season in England, racking up 10 goals and 5 assists in 40 games across all competitions.
However, Anderson was completely out of form last season and seems to be far from his best. He has also fallen down the pecking order under David Moyes and has been inconsistent.
Arteta’s arrival at the Emirates brought a drastic change within the club as they went on to lift two titles in recent months under the Spaniard. They were brilliant towards the end of last season despite starting the campaign on a poor note.
At the moment, the Gunners have a plethora of attacking talents in their ranks. Club captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has been brilliant since his arrival and he is accustomed to operating from the left flank.
Youngsters Bukayo Sako and Gabriel Martinelli are also capable of playing on the left side of the attack and both have done a decent job whenever they have been handed their opportunities.
On the right side, they already have Nicolas Pepe and Reiss Nelson, whilst the Gunners have also brought in experienced campaigner Willian to bolster their attack. Thus, there is no need for the manager to bring in Anderson, who has lacked form and consistency.
Signing him would only make Arsenal waste their resources as they already have enough depth in the wide areas. Moreover, he wouldn’t be able to replace Aubameyang on the left wing and would definitely end up on the bench.
With plenty of options, it is not necessary for the Gunners to bring in wingers. Anderson would be deemed surplus to their requirements due to the quality they already possess. Thus, Arsenal would be wise to refrain from any move for the Brazilian and instead look to strengthen other key areas before the new season commences.
