Agent plays down Manchester City link after Felipe Anderson pens new deal

The Brazilian recently put pen to paper on a new contract to June 2020, reportedly doubling his previous wages.

“The rapport with the club has always been excellent and in this case our interests coincided with those of the directors,” Stefano Castagna told Radiosei. “It was not difficult to reach an agreement for a renewal. The president and his staff deserve praise and we are very happy with the faith shown in us.”

It’s not yet clear whether or not there is a buy-out clause in the new contract.

“It is certainly a very important contract and the value of the player will be dictated by the market as well as his performances,” continued the agent. “There’s no point talking about a buy-out clause now.”

Felipe Anderson has scored nine goals in his last 11 games and is being scouted by the likes of Chelsea, Manchester City and Manchester United.

“It’s a good sign that Manchester City are coming to see him, as that means he is doing very well. He has just signed a new deal and is very happy in Rome," he continued. "I see no particular problem in keeping him, even without Champions League qualification. Playing in that tournament would be ideal, but the Europa League is good too.”

Lazio are currently in third place, just one point behind Roma in second, after a run of six consecutive victories.

Modern football dictates that a new deal means very little more than a pay rise for a player, and added bargaining power for the club if more monied teams show genuine interest. The greater the length of the contract, the more Lazio can demand in transfer fees. Make no mistake though, if the player wants a deal to go through and a club such as City show an interest then the deal is likely to happen. The player is happy now but there is no guarantee that will remain the case come the summer.

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