Hammers defender could be on his way to Serie A following interest from former boss
It’s looking increasingly likely that Emerson Palmieri has kicked his last ball in claret and blue, with reports in Italy claiming Lazio boss Maurizio Sarri is pushing to be reunited with the left-back.
According to LazioNews, Sarri—who worked with Emerson during his Chelsea days—remains a huge admirer of the 30-year-old and believes he can slot straight into Lazio’s system. And frankly, with Emerson out of favour in east London, it’s a move that makes a lot of sense for all parties.
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Graham Potter doesn’t view Emerson as part of his long-term plans, which has been fairly obvious. The Hammers boss has preferred youngster Ollie Scarles, Aaron Wan-Bissaka, and even right-back Vladimir Coufal on the left flank at times—hardly an invitation to a new contract for the Italian international.
Emerson and Lucas Paqueta walk to West Ham training
Emerson has been an excellent signing for West Ham
In truth, the writing was already on the wall under Julen Lopetegui, who barely gave Emerson a full 90 minutes and often shuffled him out for other options.
If Sarri gets his way—and it looks like he’s heavily influencing Lazio’s summer business—this transfer could gather pace quickly, particularly given competition from La Liga. Whether West Ham get a decent fee remains to be seen, but at £13m Emerson has provided excellent value for the Hammers with his Conference League final performance a particular highlight.