West Ham had tabled a club-record bid yesterday evening, before today’s reports suggest that Chelsea have one-upped them in the pursuit of Lazio’s Felipe Anderson.

According to the latest reports from today’s edition of Italian newspaper La Repubblica, West Ham may have fallen victim to a sabotage attempt from Premier League rivals Chelsea.

The reports suggest that, after West Ham made a reported €31 million (plus €5 million in bonuses) bid for the Brazilian according to Gianluca DiMarzio, Chelsea have now come in direct competition to the Hammers.

La Repubblica’s reports suggest that Chelsea’s offer is €32 million (plus a further €6 million in bonuses), meaning they have outbid West Ham and, given the notorious tight-fistedness of Lazio president Claudio Lotito, this could prove decisive in the outcome of the deal.

What is for certain is that Felipe Anderson will be leaving Lazio, yet, with his destination still unclear, it could come down to who offers the club the most; and who is able to win over the heart of the player himself.

Felipe Anderson fell out of favour with Lazio head coach Simone Inzaghi in the 17/18 season and, after recovering from injury, spent a large amount of time on the bench, with the Lazio manager preferring Luis Alberto.

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