Chelsea are reportedly set to demand a transfer fee of €20 million for Emerson Palmieri amid interest from Inter Milan and Napoli.
According to a report from Italian publication Calciomercato, out-of-favour Chelsea star Emerson Palmieri could be set for a change of scenery in the upcoming summer transfer window with strong interest coming from Inter Milan and Napoli.
Emerson signed for Chelsea in January 2018 but has never quite been able to nail down a starting berth for himself at Stamford Bridge. While he enjoyed brief spells as the first-choice under both Maurizio Sarri and Frank Lampard, the Italian international has largely been relegated to the bench in the ongoing campaign.
Indeed, Lampard preferred to use summer signing Ben Chilwell at left-back while Thomas Tuchel, since replacing the former Chelsea midfielder in January, has stuck by Marcos Alonso in his new system which gets the best out of the Spaniard in the wing-back role.
With both Alonso and Chilwell ahead of him in the pecking order at Stamford Bridge, Emerson finds himself in a transfer limbo. And as per the aforementioned report, Chelsea could be open to offloading him come the end of the season, amid serious interest from Inter Milan and Napoli.
It was Inter manager Antonio Conte who signed Emerson at Chelsea six months before leaving the job. Having taken over the Nerazzurri, the Italian has done a sterling job, turning them into title contenders. For Inter to taste success and sustain it reinforcements in the summer will be necessary, with the left wing-back slot a concern.
Ashley Young is not getting any younger and will be turning 36 in July. Ivan Perisic has not had the greatest of success playing in a wing-back role either, with his defensive frailties being a problem. Thus, someone like Emerson, a player who Conte knows well, could be a smart addition for the Serie A leaders.
However, they are set to face competition from fellow Italian outfit Napoli, who have been monitoring Emerson’s situation for quite some time now. The Partenopei could need reinforcements at left-back following a serious injury to Faouzi Ghoulam while Mario Rui has blown hot and cold over the course of the season.
Emerson, given his proven credentials in Serie A with AS Roma and the Italian national team, can be a viable solution for Gennaro Gattuso’s side in the summer. However, any deal would require both Inter Milan and Napoli to meet Chelsea’s asking price for Emerson, which stands at €20 million.
It remains to be seen if either club is willing to meet that valuation in the summer. As things stand though, it does seem like Emerson’s time at Stamford Bridge is drawing to a close.
