Why the time could be right for Chelsea to offload Emerson Palmieri
Emerson Palmieri could be on his way back to Serie A, with Sky Sports reporting that Inter Milan have opened talks for the Chelsea defender.
The 25-year-old Italian left-back has struggled to find regular first-team football, featuring only in 14 Premier League matches this season. The Italian has struggled to break into the first-team but has taken every opportunity to play with both hands.
Despite that, manager Frank Lampard hasn’t used the player much despite him showing the potential of being a very good attacking left-back.
The 25-year-old began his career in Brazil with the Santos youth academy. Emerson then went on to play for AS Roma, where he was recognized as a great talent. After moving to Chelsea, the defender hasn’t found it easy, starting as a second-choice to Alonso. Emerson has managed to get a few games over the last two seasons.
Though his journey hasn’t been smooth, the player has put up decent performances. The £42,000-a-week star’s hard work saw him earn a place in the starting XI of the team’s Europa League final against Arsenal in Baku.
He continued to be a regular starter at the start of the season but hasn’t played a Premier League game ever since Chelsea’s game against Leicester at the beginning of February.
Emerson Palmieri hasn’t played in Chelsea’s last 9 Premier League matches, making it quite apparent that he isn’t a part of the manager’s long-term plans.
Emerson made a surprise start in the FA Cup quarter-final against Leicester City recently as the manager was looking to rotate the squad ahead of important games in the Premier League.
Frank Lampard has opted to use skipper Cesar Azpilicueta and more recently Marcos Alonso at left-back, pushing Emerson further down the pecking order.
Verdict
Emerson has failed to nail down the spot for himself and it would be better if Chelsea let the player go rather than keep him unnecessarily. The Italian too would want match time rather than just sit as surplus to the team’s requirement.
Thus, Chelsea should cash in on the defender and sell him to the Serie A giants. Emerson is clearly not getting his chances under Lampard and there’s no point in having a player on the books if he isn’t being used effectively.