Hammers fork out record fee for Anderson

WEST Ham have completed the club-record signing of midfielder Felipe Anderson from Lazio.

The Premier League club have announced the Brazilian has signed a four-year deal at the London Stadium.

The fee is around £35million, potentially rising to £42million.

Anderson, 25, has spent the past five seasons in Serie A and becomes the Hammers’ seventh signing since the appointment of Manuel Pellegrini as manager this summer.

Anderson said: “I feel really happy and fulfilled to join West Ham United. West Ham is a club with a lot of tradition, lots of great players have played here, like Bobby Moore, Carlos Tevez and (Paolo) di Canio.

“They were great players and idols here, and I’m aiming big. Who knows, maybe I could hit their heights and be a legend here too. I’m really happy to be here. It’s a dream come true.”

Brazil international Anderson joined Lazio in 2013 after making his name with Sao Paolo side Santos as a teenager.

The attacking midfielder scored 34 goals in 177 appearances for the Rome club.

His arrival follows those of Ryan Fredericks, Lukasz Fabianski, Issa Diop, Jack Wilshere, Andriy Yarmolenko and Fabian Balbuena this summer.

Joint-chairman David Sullivan said: “Felipe was a main target of the manager so we are delighted we’ve been able to bring him to the club.

“We’re very pleased with the business we’ve done so far and I hope the supporters are just as excited as we are about the squad we are building here at West Ham.

“The deal sees us significantly break our transfer record and we feel it’s a real statement of intent.”