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LONDON (AP) — West Ham broke its transfer record to sign Brazil midfielder Felipe Anderson for a reported fee of 35 million pounds ($42 million) in what the Premier League club said Sunday was a "real statement of intent."
Anderson joined from Italian side Lazio and became West Ham's seventh signing since the appointment of Manuel Pellegrini as manager in May.
The 25-year-old attacking midfielder moved to Lazio in 2013, scoring 34 goals in 177 appearances, after making his name with Brazilian club Santos as a teenager.
Other players to have joined West Ham this offseason are goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski, defenders Ryan Fredericks, Fabian Balbuena and Issa Diop, and midfielders Jack Wilshere and Andriy Yarmolenko.
West Ham joint-chairman David Sullivan said Anderson was a main target for Pellegrini.
"We're very pleased with the business we've done so far and I hope the supporters are just as excited as we are about the squad we are building," Sullivan said.
"The deal sees us significantly break our transfer record and we feel it's a real statement of intent."
Anderson signed a four-year deal with a club that plays its home matches at London's Olympic Stadium. The fee was not disclosed but British media reported it could potentially rise to 42 million pounds ($55 million).
"West Ham is a club with a lot of tradition, lots of great players have played here, like Bobby Moore, Carlos Tevez and (Paolo) Di Canio," Anderson said.
"They were great players and idols here, and I'm aiming big. Who knows, maybe I could hit their heights and be a legend here too."
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