Felipe Anderson has announced via social media that he will not sign a new Lazio contract, as he officially signed for Palmeiras, despite Juventus links.
The Brazilian’s current deal is due to expire on June 30 and negotiations have been dragging on for months with no success.
It was reported that new coach Igor Tudor was pushing the club to reach an agreement, but this evening the forward confirmed his exit with a post on Instagram Stories.
“Out of respect for Lazio and its fans who always supported me, I confirm that I have not reached an agreement to renew my contract with the club and I will therefore follow a new path next season.
“I always proved my professionalism and my commitment to Lazio, so I can assure you that I will continue to dedicate myself to honouring this jersey until the very last day of my contract.
“Thank you for everything!”
Felipe Anderson is in his second different spell at Lazio, having already been at the club from 2013 to 2018.
He returned from West Ham United in the summer of 2021 and now has 319 appearances for Lazio under his belt, scoring 58 goals and providing 63 assists.
Today is his 31st birthday.
There have been multiple reports that Juventus are ready to welcome Felipe Anderson as a free agent, but that proved to be premature.
After Sportitalia reported that Juventus were holding back on signing him, Palmeiras announced that they have instead secured Felipe Anderson to December 31, 2027.
It is believed he wanted to return to Brazil for family reasons.
𝑈𝑛𝑎 𝑠𝑐𝑒𝑙𝑡𝑎 𝑠𝑒𝑚𝑝𝑙𝑖𝑐𝑒! 🤭
Da Itália para o #MaiorCampeãoDoBrasil! Felipe Anderson acerta com o Verdão! 🆕💪 ➤ https://t.co/eifCyfiYuE#AvantiPalestra pic.twitter.com/rzlcHoQnK4— SE Palmeiras (@Palmeiras) April 15, 2024
Comunicato! pic.twitter.com/8JYMZI4QC3
— Felipe Anderson (@F_Andersoon) April 15, 2024