The Red Devils identified the Brazilian playmaker as a primary target ahead of the January transfer window but the move failed to materialise after a wrangle over bonus payments
Lazio should have sold Felipe Anderson to Manchester United in January, according to sporting director Igli Tare.
United identified Anderson as a primary target ahead of the January transfer window, and were poised to table a bid worth £35 million for the playmaker, only to see their move delayed by a wrangle surrounding the player's bonus payments.
The move subsequently collapsed, with Lazio keen to retain Anderson's services in a bid to build on the success of 2014-15, when they finished third, but they have struggled to replicate that form this term and currently sit seventh, 13 points behind third-placed Fiorentina.
And Tare has questioned whether this season may have panned out differently had Lazio cashed in on the 22-year-old.
"We have to make a complete analysis when making decisions, both on an economic and a sporting level," Tare told Corriere dello Sport.
"I have seen the transfer activity at other clubs, where they decided to sell some of their valuable assets. It happened at Juventus, at Roma, at Inter and at Napoli. Those could be examples for us.
"I can understand it if you sell a player and then reinvest the money to strengthen the squad. Maybe we made a mistake not to sell anyone.
"But the idea behind our decision not to take the €50m for Felipe Anderson was because we wanted to continue our project with the same group after a good season.
"If you make it into the Champions League, your players are worth even more."
Felipe Anderson has a contract with Lazio until June 2020.
- Goal