Why West Ham must hold onto £41m signing Felipe Anderson
According to The Sun (h/t Daily Mail), Felipe Anderson is facing an uncertain West Ham future and is weighing up his options ahead of next season.
The £41million Hammers signing is worried about his first-team opportunities under David Moyes after starting just four games since his appointment last December. Anderson enjoyed a successful start to his life in England, scoring 10 goals after joining West Ham back in 2018.
However, he suffered a dip in form last season, netting just one goal from 25 Premier League appearances, forcing Moyes to opt for better options. To add to his miseries, Anderson also suffered hamstring issues, which further dented his chances of a first-team appearance.
Meanwhile, West Ham, like Anderson endured a difficult campaign last season as they narrowly avoided relegation by finishing just two spots above the relegation zone.
Anderson still one of the star players in West Ham
The 27-year-old Anderson’s poor form and injury troubles saw Moyes rope in young winger Jarrod Bowen from Hull City during the winter window. Bowen, on the other hand, has been excellent since arriving at London Stadium, scoring once and assisting four times in 14 league games, helping them escape Premier League relegation.
Apart from these two, Moyes also has Pablo Fornals, Andriy Yarmolenko and veteran Robert Snodgrass, who are capable of playing on the flanks. Fornals has been a regular while Yarmolenko and Snodgrass have scored five league goals each. This justifies Moyes’ decision to choose them ahead of Anderson in the first-team.
Moreover, now with the return of 22-year-old Grady Diangana following a successful loan spell with West Brom, Anderson’s first-team prospects look increasingly rare.
However, it does not diminish the fact that Anderson still remains one of their most successful and experienced wingers in the side. A veteran of 137 Serie A matches, Anderson was a regular at Lazio.
Anderson had 34 goals and 39 assists to his credit while playing for Lazio, suggesting that he is nothing short of talent. That said, it would be foolish if West Ham decide to let go of one of their highest-paid stars, who is just nearing his third year with the club.
West Ham should rather keep more faith in him and offer him more chances next season to once again fulfil his potential. Hence, they should hold onto him for one more season before making a decision on his future.
Read more
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Verdict
Though West Ham have enough depth in their wings, Anderson still remains one of their star players and it would be too harsh to let go of him this soon. A proven and experienced customer in the past, Anderson will now be eager to prove a point, which, in turn, would help the Hammers in the upcoming season. Also, the Brazilian is now 27 and still has plenty of football left in him.
