David Sullivan must finalise David Moyes’ new contract, with the boss’ control at West Ham United undeniable amid claims that Felipe Anderson is due to be sold this summer.

What’s the word?

According to The Sun, the Hammers are ready to take a huge hit on the former club-record £36m signing in order to get Anderson’s vastly lucrative wage off the books.

It will come as the second sizable loss taken in 2021 after shifting Sebastien Haller in the winter market for £20m, a whopping £25m less than he cost when signed from Bundesliga outfit Eintracht Frankfurt in 2019.

Anderson is expected to head through the London Stadium exit door for the final time this summer, as Moyes has made it clear that the Brazilian does not feature in his future plans.

Moyes does not believe the winger has the work ethic that he demands of his players and wants to rid West Ham of his services, as the ex-Manchester United boss continues to stamp his mark on the squad partly assembled by Manuel Pellegrini.

Anderson has hardly featured for FC Porto this season while on loan at the Liga NOS giants and knows there is no chance of a permanent move to the Estadio do Dragao.

But a potential hurdle in West Ham’s plans to shift the 27-year-old is that Anderson earns an alleged £100,000-per-week, and he still has a year remaining on the terms sanctioned by Pellegrini and the Irons’ former Director of Football Mario Husillos.

Interest may also be hard to come by too, with other clubs having seen Anderson start just five of his mere nine Porto appearances across all competitions to date, playing for a total of 383 minutes since joining Sergio Conceicao’s side.

A sign of Moyes’ control

Sullivan and the West Ham hierarchy being willing to take another sizable hit on the fees paid for players during Pellegrini and Husillos’ time at the club comes a sign of Moyes’ control at the London Stadium, where his power is seemingly undeniable.

West Ham could have forced Moyes to stick with Haller in January and Anderson next season so that the club could try and rebuild their respective market values, but instead, they seem willing to back the Scottish coach in his drive to start anew with his own signings.

It’s a costly way to g,  having already lost £25m on Haller and previous reports claiming Anderson is now worth only £17m, although it is part of the greater good that has the Irons challenging for Champions League qualification just a year after avoiding relegation.

Yet the Hammers’ backing of Moyes must not stop at selling the flops acquired by his predecessor, as the manager’s London Stadium future remains up in the air with his current contract due to expire at the end of the season.

Claims by TEAMtalk over the weekend suggested West Ham are set to push through a deal to tie Moyes down long-term as his demands are not an issue, yet rival interest is building with Celtic said to be in contact via intermediaries to discuss a move to the Premiership.

Moyes also has interest from other Premier League clubs and sides from the continent, but cannot be allowed to leave east London given the turnaround he has managed, plus the belief that senior club figures evidently have in him.

While Anderson could be set to go either way this summer, Sullivan must seal Moyes’ new deal to keep the anchor of West Ham’s recent success at the London Stadium.

AND in other news, David Moyes has confirmed his intent for West Ham to sign a £42k-p/w brute this summer…