Arsenal are one of two clubs showing strong interest in West Ham United 27-year-old Felipe Anderson, according to a Hammers insider.

West Ham insider ExWHUEmployee reports that a few clubs are starting to show an interest in Felipe Anderson, most notably his former club Lazio and Arsenal. Edu is reportedly a big fan of the player, though he is likely a backup option for the Gunners.

Don’t groan when you read this, but Anderson is apparently another Kia Joorabchian client too. He’s technically with Bertolucci Sports (like David Luiz), but they work closely with Kia’s Sports Invest UK Ltd.

Anderson played on the left-wing this season, though he can also play in midfield or on the right. He certainly isn’t having the best 2020, dropping out of the West Ham team for the majority of the year so far.

That was partly due to a back injury in January. But he mostly remained out of the side even when he was fit post-lockdown. West Ham fans suggest the problem is that he’s too attack-oriented for a team that often has to defend in numbers.

It’s hard to see this one coming off, for me. Arsenal would probably need to pay a fair price to sign the player, even if his contract does end in 2022. If West Ham aren’t getting value on the pitch, they’ll at least want to recoup some of what they paid for him.

In a summer where Arsenal need to spend wisely, blowing a lot of money on a player struggling to make the grade at West Ham would be strange. Even if he does have talent and might suit the Gunners better.