Serie A trio keen on Chelsea star Emerson Palmieri

According to Sky Sports Italia via Calciomercato (h/t Mirror), A host of Serie A clubs are interested in Chelsea star Emerson Palmieri.

The Italian has fallen down the pecking order at Stamford Bridge since the arrival of Ben Chilwell. While Marcos Alonso’s falling out with Frank Lampard could work in his favour, Chilwell is the undisputed first choice in the position.

The 26-year-old failed to make an impact when given opportunities last season. He was expected to leave the club this summer but eventually stayed put.

Former Chelsea boss Antonio Conte, now at Inter Milan, was keen to reunite with the defender. Despite that not coming to fruition, Inter remain interested in Emerson.

They will, however, face competition from local rivals Juventus and Napoli. Emerson is familiar with the Italian league, having spent four years in the country with Palermo and Roma.

Juventus were keen on securing Emerson on loan last summer. However, the deal failed to materialize.

Given the peripheral importance he has at Chelsea, him moving to Serie-A would give him more opportunities for garnering playtime. With the Euros set to be held next summer, it would surely help his case in being selected for the Italian squad.

Emerson has made 57 appearances for Chelsea across all competitions. During this time, he has scored one goal and assisted five more. (h/t Transfermarkt)

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One aspect that could scupper a deal is Alonso’s fall from grace. With the Spaniard somewhat sidelined, Emerson can be considered as the backup to Chilwell.

Unless Alonso’s stature is restored or we bring in another player, it remains to be seen if Lampard is willing to risk let Emerson go.

Edouard Mendy pleased to work with Petr Cech at Chelsea

According to The Guardian, Chelsea new-boy Edouard Mendy is pleased to be working alongside club legend Petr Cech.

Brought in to solve our goalkeeping issue, Mendy has enjoyed a good start to life at the Bridge. He has so far kept two clean sheets, something neither of our other keepers have managed this season.

Remarkably, the 38-year-old Petr Cech was also included in the club’s squad for the Premier League. Cech retired in 2019 and currently works as a technical advisor at Stamford Bridge.

While Cech is at best an emergency cover, the experience gained from working alongside a keeper of such repute would surely help Mendy.

The Senegalese international now has the chance to see the Blues legend in action. If anything, it should give him an idea of the standards expected of him as Chelsea’s first-choice keeper.

“It’s just an absolute pleasure to work with him every day. Training allows me to watch how he works and to analyse his game.”

Chelsea were without Kepa Arrizabalaga for their match against Manchester United. The Spaniard has been sidelined with an injury.

Mendy remains confident that despite this setback, the Blues will not have to call up Cech. Reserve keeper Willy Caballero was on the bench, with Mendy starting in goal.

“We already have three very good goalkeepers and that should be enough.”

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Despite having taken over as the first-choice keeper immediately upon arriving, Mendy admits there is no friction between him and the other keepers.

If Mendy is able to replicate what he learns from Kepa, there is no reason to assume he won’t cement his spot as the starting keeper.

Chelsea struggling to get rid of Kepa Arrizabalaga

According to Estadio Deportivo via Sport Witness (h/t Mirror), Chelsea have a major obstacle in their efforts to sell Kepa Arrizabalaga.

The Spaniard has struggled to impress and is currently behind Edouard Mendy in the pecking order. It is a difficult position to place the world’s most expensive keeper in a backup role just two years after signing him.

Bu Kepa has failed to make use of the opportunities given to him. He has struggled time and again and has been at the end of some major blunders. The latest being his error that led to Liverpool’s second earlier this season.

However, his wages are proving to be a stumbling block when it comes to getting rid of him.

A major example of it was seen in the summer. Spanish side Sevilla were keen to take on the goalkeeper on loan. They were however priced out of a move owing to Kepa’s wages at Chelsea.

While Chelsea are ready to offload the player, they must be ready to take a hit on their £71million investment.

According to the report, Kepa too will have to lower his wage demands if he is to seek a move elsewhere. He currently earns an impressive £150,000 per week at Stamford Bridge.

This makes him the fourth-highest earner at the club. It is an incredible amount to pay a player who is out of favour.

To put it into perspective, Kepa’s wages are more than that of Hakim Ziyech, Cesar Azpiliciueta, and N’Golo Kante. The Blues placed a lot of faith in him to replace Thibaut Courtois in 2018. It is fair to say he has not delivered.

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It will come as no surprise if Kepa’s time at the club is truly over. In fact, as a non-performing asset, moving him on even at a loss would be a sensible thing to do for both parties.

Chelsea star Jorginho opens up on talks with Arsenal

Speaking to ESPN Brasil (h/t Mirror), Chelsea star Jorginho has opened up on speculations linking him with a move to Arsenal.

The Italian international was linked with a move away from the Bridge earlier this summer. Arsenal was touted to be one of the potential destinations. We have now heard from the horse’s mouth regarding it.

Jorginho has hinted that there were talks that took place but in the end, he chose to stay back and commit to Chelsea.

“I believe there was something they talked about. And in the end it was decided that I remain here.”

He also reiterated his commitment to the club and is fully focused on helping the Blues succeed. So far, he has done just that by scoring three goals and assisting another in just six appearances.

The vice-captain, Jorginho has led from the front as the Blues look to kick off a new era at the club. With the new players still settling in, the presence of Jorginho in midfield has been a calming influence.

“Now my head is here and we’re going to do a great job with Chelsea, which I always wanted to do.”

Had Jorginho moved to The Emirates, he would have been the second Chelsea player to do so in the same summer.

Blues star Willian chose to move to Arsenal once his contract at the club was up this summer.

In many ways, the Blues have also benefitted off the pitch by the Italian choosing to stay. In fact, Jorginho has taken it upon himself to help new signing Thiago Silva pick up footballing terms in English.

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Chelsea are building a young hungry team that could potentially dominate for years to come.

At the core of it, however, a number of veterans, including Jorginho, have their parts to play. The midfielder may divide opinion among fans but for now, he has a role to fulfil at the club.