There are many things that indicate that a transfer could be close, but if a player is talking about squad numbers at a new club then you know things are getting serious.
A move to Lazio would be a return to familiar surroundings for Felipe Anderson after he initially joined West Ham from the Serie A giants, and the latest reports suggest he could be on his way back.
He fell out of favour at West Ham after an excellent first season and a loan move to Porto didn’t bring much success last year, so an exit looks like the best option for him at this point.
There may be a sticking point on the fee as Lazio want to pay around €5m and West Ham hope to double that, while it also sounds like the number 7 shirt is ready and waiting for him in Rome.
At this point it appears that he will be on his way out if a fee can be agreed, while there’s little sign of West Ham trying to keep him around.