Chelsea outcast closes in on £22.6m return to his home country

Emerson Palmieri closes in on Inter Milan switch

According to Italian publication Calciomercato (h/t Express), Chelsea defender Emerson Palmieri is closing in on a move to Italian giants Inter Milan.

The 26-year-old has agreed to personal terms and is set to pen a five-year deal at the San Siro. The move will see him link up with former Chelsea boss Antonio Conte, the one who brought him to Stamford Bridge.

Emerson started the 2019/20 campaign as the club’s first-choice left-back ahead of Marcos Alonso. He eventually ended up losing the spot to the Spaniard.

He has made just 21 appearances this season and has struggled to impose himself when given the opportunity. He started in Chelsea’s last game of the season against Bayern Munich and looked well off the pace.

Blues boss Frank Lampard is keen to revamp his defence going into next season. With neither Emerson nor Alonso impressing, bringing in a new-back is a priority.

Leicester City star Ben Chilwell is the club’s preferred choice, with Lampard himself a huge fan. Leicester’s valuation of the player however continues to be an issue. Cashing in on Emerson will make the job easier by adding to our transfer kitty.

Emerson is keen to leave the club in search of regular game time. Doing so will boost his chances of making the Italian squad for the European Championships to be held next summer. (h/t The Guardian)

According to the report, Emerson will be paid an annual salary of £2.2million at Inter, with Chelsea pocketing as much as £22.6m.

The Blues appear to be open to negotiations and could accept an initial offer worth £18.1m, with the rest to be paid in bonuses.

Napoli was also keen on the former Roma star, who has the experience of playing in the Serie A. (h/t Express)

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Chelsea have not put all their eggs in one basket in their hunt for a new left-back. If the pursuit of Chilwell leads to nothing, the club has readied a number of alternatives who are financially more viable.

The list includes Ajax Amsterdam’s Nicolas Tagliafcio, Real Madrid star Sergio Reguilon, Porto ace Alex Telles, Getafe defender Marc Cucurella and Atalanta’s impressive Robin Gosens. (h/t Express)