Chelsea defender Emerson Palmieri could be on the move to Lazio this summer with former head coach Maurizio Sarri keen for a reunion, according to reports.
The Italian defender has reunited with the Chelsea squad in pre-season following a loan spell with Olympique Lyonnais last year in Ligue 1.
Emerson has featured multiple times as Thomas Tuchel has been assessing his options ahead of the upcoming 2022/23 campaign.
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In 2018, under the management of Antonio Conte, Emerson became a Blue, but in his time at Stamford Bridge he has failed to nail down the starting spot.
He became the third choice last season, behind Ben Chilwell and Marcos Alonso and was therefore subject to a loan move.
Appearing 33 times across all competitions for Lyon, he earned an opportunity to impress Tuchel back at Chelsea this summer.
Battling with Alonso for the backup position, it remains to be seen what the decision will be, with one of the two likely to leave.
Barcelona have been strongly tied to the Spanish wing-back and he has just a year remaining on his contract which puts him in the same boat as Emerson.
The case to be made for Emerson is that he has more versatility than the 31-year-old which could be vitally important for Tuchel given the lack of depth in his defence.
He could play in a back four, as wing-back in a back five and he could even slot in on the left side of a back three.
Having lost the services of Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen this summer and the potential departure of club captain Cesar Azpilicueta, that kind of adaptability could be crucial.
Italian newspaper Il Messaggero reports however that Lazio are very keen to pick up the 27-year-old.
Sarri, another one of Emerson’s former managers, is a huge admirer of the player, and he ‘dreams’ of having him play in a potential left-wing role.
Reportedly, Chelsea are open to the possibility of loaning the defender with an option to buy for €10 million.
While it is unclear what Emerson’s stance on the situation is, it is likely should he not be handed sufficient game-time he could seek a move away.
With Champions League matches on top of the Premier League, where you can now make five substitutions in the 90 minutes, he should still have plenty of opportunities if he is chosen as a backup option for Tuchel to utilise.
Topics: Emerson Palmieri, Chelsea, Lazio, Maurizio Sarri, Football, Transfers
Matthew Debono