While Vladimir Coufal, Michail Antonio, Lukasz Fabianski, Aaron Cresswell and Danny Ings wait for a fresh start after leaving West Ham United, Emerson Palmieri is no closer to a fresh start of his own.
While not one of the six players released by West Ham United on July 1st – former captain Kurt Zouma is another whose time at the Premier League outfit is now officially over – the Brazil-born Italy international is heading in the same direction.
Fabrizio Romano reported in mid-June that Emerson Palmieri is not part of Graham Potter’s plans.
That much was obvious, given that the £13 million acquisition from Chelsea slipped behind teenager Ollie Scarles in Potter’s pecking order towards the back end of last season.
Romano added that a number of clubs were looking to offer Emerson an escape route.
However, via football correspondent Graeme Bailey, Hammers News can confirm that purported moves to Lazio and Real Betis currently appear to be off the cards.
Emerson Palmieri in action Aston Villa FC v West Ham United FC in the Premier League
Photo by Rob Newell – CameraSport via Getty Images
West Ham United left-back Emerson Palmieri misses out on Real Betis transfer
Former Roma favourite Emerson was linked with Lazio last month.
A return to the Italian capital would have seen him join a very exclusive club of players to represent both sides on either side of the Stadio Olimpico divide, alongside Alessio Romagnoli, Aleksandr Kolarov and the evergreen Pedro.
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Lazio president Claudio Lotito played down those claims in the aftermath, however. Like West Ham, the Biancocelesti are hoping to sell before they buy.
And Bailey has now told Hammers News that reports of a switch to Lazio – plus a reunion with his former Chelsea boss Maurizio Sarri – are wide of the mark.
🚨⚒️ Understand Emerson Palmieri and West Ham are planning to part ways this summer.
Several clubs already started moving for Emerson as Graham Potter has already informed the player about approval to let him leave. pic.twitter.com/VZk3H4zJEb
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) June 13, 2025
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There was, though, plenty of genuine interest shown in him by Real Betis.
The La Liga outfit are in the market for a left-back themselves with neither Swiss veteran Ricardo Rodriguez nor former Southampton man Romain Perraud impressing sufficiently.
Hammers News have learned that Emerson Palmieri was due to join Real Betis this summer. Los Verdiblancos have since backed out, however, while setting their sights on two very familiar faces.
La Liga outfit eye Leeds favourite and Aston Villa misfit
Junior Firpo and Alex Moreno were both starting left-backs at Real Betis in the relatively recent past. Firpo has made no secret of the fact he has unfinished business at the Estadio Benito Villamarin.
His contract at Leeds United expired a few days ago.
Moreno, who struggled for game time on loan at Nottingham Forest last term a la West Ham’s own James Ward-Prowse, will be allowed to leave Aston Villa for a fraction of the £13.2 million fee they paid to bring him to the Midlands two-and-a-half years ago.
As far as a long-term replacement for Emerson goes, reports suggest that West Ham are closing in on El Hadji Malick Diouf of Slavia Prague.
Hammers News understands that the talks are not quite as advanced as some have suggested – Wiw Sport claimed that Diouf would travel from Prague to London this weekend – but the Senegal international is high on Kyle Macaulay’s wishlist.