West Ham United have reportedly ended their interest in Chelsea defender Emerson Palmieri due to his wage demands.
According to Daily Mail, Premier League club West Ham United have ended their interest in Chelsea defender Emerson Palmieri this summer.
The Italian international enjoys considerable playtime with his national side, but the same cannot be said of his time at Stamford Bridge. In six years at Chelsea, Emerson has made just 71 appearances for the west London outfit across all competitions, scoring two goals and assisting five more.
Ben Chilwell is the first-choice left wing-back at Chelsea and has an able deputy in the form of Marc Cucurella. For now, Marcos Alonso is an excellent third-choice option, while Chelsea captain Cesar Azpilicueta is also capable of performing the role. This makes Emerson more or less redundant in the Blues’ plans for the future.
The Italian international spent the entirety of the 2021/22 campaign on loan at Lyon. While his performances did not particularly stand out, Emerson more than showcased his abilities as a top-level defender. This drew the attention of West Ham United, who are in the market for a left-back.
Emerson Palmieri deal off for West Ham, confirmed. No agreement on salary despite deal close to being completed with Chelsea as called earlier by @JackRosser_ ?⚒️ #WHUFC
Chelsea insist they want around £20m to sell Emerson Palmieri, no way for loan move as of now. pic.twitter.com/9KTkAdQn5h
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) August 17, 2022
The Hammers were in talks with Chelsea and were reasonably confident of reaching an agreement. However, West Ham have now backed out of the £15 million deal after failing to reach an agreement with the Chelsea defender regarding personal terms. It would appear that West Ham will now look elsewhere.
West Ham have a major lack of options at left-back, with Aaron Creswell their lone senior option. However, at 33, the veteran is far from his best and has also in recent months shown an inability to keep his cool. The left flank can be seen as a weakness that opponents could exploit should the Hammers fail to bring in reinforcements.
Emerson is also drawing attention from several other clubs across Europe. SSC Napoli and Juventus are also interested in the Chelsea full-back, and West Ham’s withdrawal now offers them a window of opportunity. Whether a return home is something that appeals to Emerson remains to be seen.
The Azzurri defender’s time at Chelsea more or less appears to be over. With Italy failing to qualify for the 2022 FIFA World Cup, the 28-year-old has little incentive to push for a side that offers him regular playtime from the off. This could potentially weaken Chelsea’s hand when it comes to negotiations. The Blues have also raised their asking price to £20 million and ruled out letting the player go out on loan.
Everything points to Emerson having played his last game for Chelsea. At 28, he still has a few years left in him and can offer potential employers a dual-way presence on the flank. Meanwhile, West Ham United will now have to hurry, with the summer transfer window set to shut in little under a fortnight.
