Lazio midfielder Felipe Anderson has been one of this seasons Serie A stars with some brilliant performances for the Roman side that includes nine goals catching the attention of the Premiership pair.
The 21-year-old Brazilian was feared by the Italian club to be on his way to England but has instead signed a new contract that will see him stay at the Olympic Stadium till 2020.
His agent Stefano Castagna says the new deal came about after he heard of Lazio’s plans for the future.
“He [Felipe Anderson] took up the Lazio cause when he arrived in Italy last year, the Biancocelesti made a big and important offer for him – even though they had to wait for a while for him to recover from an injury that kept him out for some time,” Castagna told Gazzetta TV.
“He’s a guy with the fundamental physical and technical characteristics needed for today’s football. He’s improved his defensive play and he’s still growing as a player.
“We renewed the contract with the capital side because the project here is very interesting.”