Serie A giants Juventus are reportedly lining up a summer swoop for Chelsea defender Emerson Palmieri.
According to Tuttosport, Juventus are set to revive their interest in Chelsea’s Emerson Palmieri in the summer as the left-back continues to impress on loan at Ligue 1 side Lyon.
The Italian international was brought to Stamford Bridge by Antonio Conte in 2018, but has endured a difficult tenure with the Blues. He featured heavily under Conte’s compatriot and successor Maurizio Sarri, but has never really established himself as a regular at the back under the following managers.
After a pretty successful UEFA Euro 2020 campaign, he joined French outfit Lyon on a season-long loan in search of regular first-team football to retain his spot in Roberto Mancini’s side. Not only has he cemented himself as a regular starter under Peter Bosz, but he has emerged as one of the standout performers for Les Gones, contributing with one goal and two assists in 27 appearances across all competitions this term.
The Blues sought to recall him in the January transfer window after suffering an injury crisis, but Emerson stayed in France. Chelsea were instead forced to recall Kenedy from his loan stint at Flamengo.
Emerson has impressed enough for the Ligue 1 club to want to keep him permanently and trigger the purchase option in his contract. But that seems to have become complicated at the moment, with trade sanctions imposed on Chelsea and owner Roman Abramovich. Moreover, Lyon are set to face stiff competition for the 27-year-old’s services in the summer, with Juventus now also vying for his signature.
Emerson has been on Juventus’s radar for a long time now and is on top of their list of possible targets to upgrade the left-back position, with the underperforming Alex Sandro expected to depart the Allianz Stadium come summer.
The Chelsea ace is probably the best replacement for Sandro and fits the profile of a defender who can really flourish in Massimiliano Allegri’s defensive system at Juventus. Emerson has a good defensive presence on the left wing and is very hard to get past in ground duels, while he is also quick to clear his lines and is an astute defender in terms of his positioning. He is also capable of making driving runs down the left flank to whip in teasing crosses into the opposition box.
Emerson is understood to be open to a move back to the Serie A, where he has previously had a successful stint with AS Roma. A return to his homeland would also make it easier to catch the attention of Italy boss Roberto Mancini.
The 27-year-old’s current contract at the west London club expires in 2024. Given he is not a part of Thomas Tuchel’s long-term plans, it would be wise for the Blues to sell him for a cut-price fee this summer.
