Very interesting to see another huge club making moves to bid for a thirty year-old player. I thought that was only West Ham’s domain but news out of Italy suggests that Juventus have placed one of West Ham’s keystone defenders on their January shopping list.
Juventus manager Thiago Motta has, according to sportwitness.co.uk asked his recruitment team to try and secure Emerson Palmieri’s services and launch a January bid to acquire him from West Ham. According to the report today: “The 30-year-old is a ‘cornerstone’ of the Hammers’ current project and has now emerged as the target for the Serie A side. This is mainly because of Juventus manager Thiago Motta.
He’s asked the club’s management, led by technical director Cristiano Giuntoli, to find out the possibility of securing Emerson’s services and the player’s willingness to join Juve.”
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Emerson has been one of the most used West Ham players this season, appearing in every Premier League fixture before tonight when he is suspended for the fixture against Bournemouth after picking up a fifth yellow card.
With just the services of vice captain Aaron Cresswell as cover, it is very unlikely that whoever is in charge of transfers at West Ham in January will sanction a move for Emerson unless the bid is huge and enables the Hammers to recruit at the same level, in the same window. You’d hope.
However, with several players already reportedly in ‘want-out’ mode, who can determine what the player’s response would be if given the chance to join the Italian giants and return to European football.