Over recent years, outside the ‘big six’, West Ham has been one of the biggest spenders in the Premier League.
Last summer, the Hammers splashed out over £160m in an attempt to secure a third consecutive top-half finish.
Instead, the Irons languish in 15th position, having only netted 37 goals in 34 top-flight games.
Over time, the east London outfit has churned through many attackers, who have unable been to make an impact.
One player guilty of this was Felipe Anderson, whose career in England was blighted by inconsistency, but is now thriving in Italy.
How did Felipe Anderson perform at West Ham?
The star was Neymar’s former partner in crime at Santos in his early days before he became one of Serie A’s most esteemed and exciting talents with Lazio.
The Brazilian arrived at West Ham in 2018 with a mammoth reputation as his £35m price meant he was the club’s record signing at the time.
His debut season in England was highly productive as the 30-year-old registered 13 goal contributions in 36 league appearances and was the highest-rated player (7.23) in the squad, as per WhoScored.
His former teammate Robert Snodgrass even labelled the star as a "terrific talent."
The two-cap international was expected to continue this exemplary form with now a season of English football under his belt. However, his output significantly decreased as he only scored once, but he retained his immense trickery by registering 2.5 dribbles per game.
What is Felipe Anderson doing now?
The following term, the winger was then sent out on loan to Porto and then returned to the Biancocelesti having been sold for just £2.5m.
Upon a sensational return to management after his Juventus sacking, the former Chelsea boss Maurizio Sarri, who now coaches the forward, fell in love with his skill.
Back in 2021, the 64-year-old heaped enormous praise on the player and said: “I’ve coached many great players, but I’ve rarely seen anyone with the potential of Felipe….he has extraordinary gifts.”
Anderson repaid his manager’s unwavering faith and has recorded 14 goal contributions in 32 league appearances as Lazio currently sits in second place, seemingly thriving in the Italian top-flight.
He is a key component of a team tussling for a top-four place for only the eighth time since the turn of the century.
The £48k-per-week star is an immense prospect and it remains a grave shame that he still doesn’t grace the London Stadium turf on a weekly basis with his spell-binding, effortless play-making. Indeed, now valued at £18m, perhaps it was a mistake to let him slip through their grasp for such a low sum.