Why Chelsea would be better off selling Emerson Palmieri

According to Express, Emerson Palmieri has been linked with an exit from Chelsea. There is interest from Serie A clubs Juventus and Inter Milan and the report says that they could go for him in January.

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Born in Brazil to parents of Italian descent, Emerson Palmieri started his professional career with Santos in South America before joining Italian club Palermo on loan back in 2014. The left-back eventually joined AS Roma on a permanent deal after spending time on loan in the Italian capital.

Emerson made 47 appearances for Roma in all competitions before earning a move to Chelsea in January 2018 (source – Transfermarkt). The Italy international made only 7 appearances for the Blues during the second half of the 2017-18 campaign and continued to struggle for game time in the following season after Maurizio Sarri took charge.

The £75k-a-week left-back, though, ended the 2018-19 campaign with a respectable tally of 27 appearances, featuring prominently en route to Chelsea’s Europa League triumph. Emerson started the 2019-20 season as the club’s first-choice left-back under Frank Lampard but he lost his place following the turn of the year after a series of poor defensive displays.

Should Chelsea sell him?

Emerson has been underused ever since Lampard took over and the arrival of Ben Chilwell did nothing to help that cause. With Marcos Alonso also at the club and Cesar Azpilicueta able to put in a shift at left-back, it seems like Emerson’s days at the club look to be numbered.

Ben Chilwell is clearly the undisputed first choice at left-back and his performances are improving with every passing game. He looks defensively solid and a constant menace while going forward. His crosses aren’t too shabby either.

With a path to the first-team blocked, it would be a sensible move from the club to sanction a sale soon. There seems to be genuine interest and it would be foolish on the club’s part to refuse the offers.

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They are well stocked in that department and any cash from sales would go into balancing the books. It would also trim the squad which looks over-inflated with so many new players and minimal departures.