Chelsea are set to face a tricky decision over the future of defender Emerson Palmieri, with Italian giants Juventus reportedly interested in making a summer move. The Italian has been away from Stamford Bridge so far this season having enjoyed a loan spell in France with Ligue 1 giants Lyon.
He has made 31 appearances in all competitions for the club and has been a key performer for the side, despite a somewhat underwhelming campaign at the Groupama Stadium. He was left on the bench for Lyon’s most recent game - a 1-1 draw against unlikely Champions League challengers Strasbourg - but that was likely with the side’s Europa League quarter-final, second-leg against West Ham United in mind.
The French side have been confirmed to hold first refusal on any permanent deal but should they turn down the prospect of any summer move, it appears that the Italian has interest from his homeland. According to CalcioMercato, Serie A giants Juventus are interested in a deal, having been tracking Emerson for a number of years.
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It is suggested that the Old Lady have requested for information regarding the defender’s future at Stamford Bridge, although it remains unclear over what stance the Blues have taken regarding any transfer.
Chelsea would be in line for a slight transfer boost with the defender valued at £12.6m by transfermarkt - that being considerably lower than the £17.6m fee that originally took him to west London from AS Roma in January 2018.
With fellow left-back Ben Chilwell restricted to the sidelines until the beginning of next season, the return of Emerson would have represented an excellent option whilst the England man returned to full fitness - especially with Marcos Alonso linked with a move back to Spain. As a matter of fact, the Blues very publicly attempted to bring Emerson back to Stamford Bridge only a few months ago following the serious injury suffered by Chilwell but in the end Lyon did not agree to a premature end to his loan.
The Italian’s contract is set to expire in the summer of 2023 so it remains to be seen whether the Blues will cash in or not but Thomas Tuchel has never hidden his admiration for the defender.
Speaking last year, he said: “It [Emerson] is the perfect example. You see what comes back, we get such a big reward, everybody celebrating and everybody happy for him because I truly believe everybody in the group feels what he is doing for the group.
“He never lets anybody down with a bad mood. This is fantastic. I need to find new rewards for him. I said that to him that I am very happy and grateful and thankful for him that he could show up today and it is a pleasure to have him."
