Inter Milan are reportedly readying a £25 million bid for Chelsea star Emerson Palmieri over a move in the January transfer window.
According to a report by The Independent, Inter Milan have set their sights on Emerson Palmieri over a move in the January transfer window. The Nerazzurri are willing to offer £25 million in exchange of the Chelsea defender, who is also the subject of interest from rivals Juventus.
Emerson joined Chelsea from AS Roma in January 2018 and has since made gradual progress. The Italian international initially played second fiddle to Marcos Alonso, having had to overcome a serious injury when he arrived at Stamford Bridge. The arrival of Frank Lampard has helped his fortunes, though.
While he still shares game time with Alonso, Emerson has arguably become the first-choice left-back, having featured more often than the Spaniard. The rise in stock also gave way to suggestions that he could be due a new Chelsea deal. However, his future at the club appears to be uncertain, amid interest from Inter Milan over a possible January swoop.
At San Siro, Antonio Conte has Cristiano Biraghi and Kwadwo Asamoah as his options for the left wing-back slot. However, neither player is proving to be reliable for Inter Milan for one reason or another.
While Asamoah has performed well for the most part, injuries are leaving him on the sidelines far too often. Biraghi, on the other hand, has failed to impress after arriving from Fiorentina on loan in the summer. As a result, former Chelsea manager Conte is eager to bolster his options in the winter.
To that end, Emerson has emerged as a viable target for Inter Milan, who have also reportedly been targeting his Chelsea teammate Alonso. Both the defenders are players who are privy to Conte’s style, although Emerson appears to be the primary target for Inter for now, with the club plotting a £25 million bid for him.
The Nerazzurri, though, will have to contend with rivals Juventus in pursuit of the 25-year-old, with the Serie A champions also keen on signing him. Chelsea are open to letting Emerson leave in the January transfer window, but only if they are able to secure a replacement first.
Leicester City defender Ben Chilwell has been named as a target for Chelsea, but the Blues face stiff competition in the form of Premier League champions Manchester City. What is certain, though, is that a left-back is a priority for the West Londoners for the January window, with both Emerson and Alonso struggling for consistency.
Emerson’s future at Chelsea appears to be bleak, but with suitors like Inter Milan and Juventus vying for his signature, a return to Italy is on the cards. Inter seem to be set to make their move first with a £25 million bid and it remains to be seen if the amount is enough to tempt Chelsea to cash in on the Italian international.
