It comes as no big surprise to hear that the Hammers are apparently getting closer to sealing a deal for Felipe Anderson as his was the name at the top of Maneul Pellegrini’s list when he walked into the West Ham job.

The negotiating process has and remains painful as Lazio play a desperate hardball in the face of all Hammers advances.

Unfortunately however, their hopes that Chelsea, Man U, Man City might come in haven’t materialised and the question now is whether or not they will be ready – with their backs to the wall – to swallow their pride and accept what’s on the table.

The deal has stopped and started several times with the Hammers making a seemingly acceptable offer before Lazio have come back and added something else into the mix.

As one Hammers individual close to the deal said to me this evening: “You can get get fed up with someone peeing up your leg and then tell you it’s raining!”

The Hammers are up to £40 million and it’s hard to believe that with no other club showing interest that the player is worth more than that in the prevailing conditions.

Maybe Lazio have wind of the fact that Pelle has made him a near ‘must have ‘ target and are determined to play brinkmanship to the enth degree.

It’s a tough one to call but there’s more optimism around than in several days and there’s a genuine and very real desire to supply the new boss with the player he wants above all others.

Watch this space.

COYI