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Transfers
Will Chelsea make a £35million January move for Lazio’s Felipe Anderson?
The report that Antonio Conte is targeting Lazio midfielder Felipe Anderson as one of two targets from the Rome club in a £70 million swoop for the Brazilian and his teammate, Dutch defender Stefan de Vrij. The 23-year-old moved to Italy from Santos in 2013 and has shown continuous improvement in each campaign, attracting interest from a host of Europe’s top clubs and undoubtedly catching the eye of Conte in his roles as Juventus boss and as the Italian national team manager.
What would he bring to Chelsea?
Capable of playing on either side or as a central attacking midfielder, Anderson prefers to play on the right wing. That means he would provide support and competition for Pedro primarily, but he represents a fairly different option and is also capable of playing almost anywhere on the right so could even be an alternative to Victor Moses. A creator rather than a goalscorer, he has racked up an impressive 27 assists in 122 games for Lazio to date, with eight of those coming this season alone. Unlike Pedro, the Brazil international is also capable of contributing defensively, frequently tracking back to help out his full-back.
Is a move likely?
Yes. Lazio have been disappointing of late and failed to qualify for European football this season, and at 23-years-old Anderson may feel that it is time to step his career up to the next level. Having only featured for the national team at the Olympics and with the under 23 squad, save for a solitary seven minute cameo in a friendly against Mexico in 2015, he may see a move to Chelsea as the platform to improve his chances on the international scene too.
Verdict
7/10 – A lot of names have been linked with a move to Stamford Bridge of late, but Anderson could resolve a number of difficulties for Antonio Conte. It also seems likely that he would be keen on the move, so it could be a name to keep an eye out for in the coming weeks before the January transfer window slams shut.
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