OPINION
West Ham United have been locked in talks with Serie A club Lazio over a deal for Brazilian winger Felipe Anderson for several weeks now, and the two sides seem to be no closer to an agreement after a standstill.
As reported by Claret and Hugh, the club have reached their limit on price after tabling a bid for the speed machine, with Lazio seeking £40million for the jet-heeled flyer.
The Hammers insider website claim that reports in Italy that the club are ready to up their bid are untrue, with the Irons believing they have gone as high as they can reasonably be expected to amid no competition from other Premier League clubs.
It is said that the two sides are still in contact over the deal, but Claret and Hugh report that West Ham are now ready to pursue other targets.
And, if this standstill remains for another few days, then the Hammers must do exactly that.
Anderson is a brilliant player and would be a fantastic addition to this West Ham squad, there is little doubt about that.
His searing pace and wand of a left foot would light up the London Stadium on countless occasions should he join the club, but he is not worth the trouble that the club are currently being put through.
Reports of talks between the Hammers and Lazio first emerged at the beginning of the month, and with July fast approaching, there is little sign of an agreement being reached.
That is nearly a whole month of the transfer window that West Ham have dedicated to this deal, with no reward as of yet.
Any longer and the club will begin to be pressed for time as the 2018/19 season approaches, and they simply cannot afford to be doing business so late if they want to really push on.
Unless there is some serious progress in talks with Lazio in the next couple of days, West Ham must be prepared to abandon their bid to sign Anderson and look elsewhere.
The club are not lacking for targets, with Manuel Pellegrini reportedly having ten further players in mind, and he must turn his attention to those on that list who would be easier to secure.