West Ham’s Felipe Anderson is a gamble worth taking by Everton [Opinion]

Superficially, reports linking Everton with a move for West Ham’s Felipe Anderson may seem like a cause for concern, but the 27-year-old has shown that he has plenty left to offer in the Premier League.

The links came about as rumours emerged that Everton were prepared to let Brazilian winger Bernard move to AS Roma in a swap deal which would see Robin Olsen make his loan move at Everton a permanent deal.

However, that would leave an inevitable gap in depth on the left wing – and Everton could swap one Brazilian winger for another.

Having failed to impress with Porto, Anderson looks destined to be recalled by West Ham in search of a fresh loan which would provide more minutes for the ex-Lazio man.

As a consequence, TEAMtalk reported that Carlo Ancelotti is eyeing up Anderson to compete with Richarlison on the left flank.

The 27-year-old has struggled to impress in recent seasons, but it was his debut West Ham season in 2018/19 which should encourage Everton to line up a move for him.

Anderson kept fit and was a mainstay of former manager Manuel Pellegrini’s Irons line-up as he featured in 36 league games, scoring nine goals and setting up a further four from a wide position [Transfermarkt].

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Hailed as a ‘terrific talent’ by former teammate Robert Snodgrass in his first season, the Hammers’ then-record £36m signing has shown his Premier League capabilities before.

In this view, Anderson could have plenty to offer in Ancelotti’s 4-3-3 system which has been favoured in recent fixtures, although a deal could be structured to minimise risk.

A six-month loan deal with an option to purchase could allow an evaluative approach from all parties as to where Anderson’s future is best placed.