West Ham set to recall Felipe Anderson from failed Porto loan

West Ham are looking to recall Felipe Anderson early from a disappointing loan at Porto and could send the Brazilian elsewhere for the second half of the season.

Anderson enjoyed a strong first season at West Ham in 2018/19 after becoming the club’s then-record signing in a £36m deal from Lazio. But he subsequently struggled to replicate that form in 2019/20 and the decision was made last October to loan him out.

However, Anderson has made just a handful of appearances for Porto and hasn’t featured in the Primeira Liga at all since late October. His only starts for the club have come in domestic cup games and a Champions League dead rubber against Olympiacos.

As a result, West Ham will cut short the original season-long agreement and re-assess.

The player himself, who will turn 28 before the end of the season, is open to returning to his parent club playing for the Hammers again, although manager David Moyes is not rushing to make room for him in the current first-team squad.

A second loan would be the obvious solution in the short-term. Ordinarily, because Anderson played for West Ham back in September and then went on to appear for Porto, that wouldn’t be an option because FIFA rules prevent players from turning out for more than two clubs in a given season.

But the ongoing impact of coronavirus pandemic means there is expected to be a relaxation of the regulations this month, which could serve to benefit Anderson and West Ham.

90min understands that there are Premier League clubs who would be willing to take Anderson on loan should the rules permit it. There is also interest in him from sides in Serie A, where he previously made his name during five years at Lazio.

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