**West Ham United are in talks with Olympique Marseille about a deal for Emerson Palmieri.**
According to French news outlet [Foot Mercato](https://www.footmercato.net/a5366987328542283107-lom-fonce-sur-emerson-palmieri?preview=0.4483754915851832), the Ligue 1 giants are pushing hard to sign the 31-year-old left back and discussions between both clubs are said to be advancing quickly.
Emerson joined West Ham from Chelsea in 2022 and has been a regular presence in the first team.
He has made over 100 appearances for the Hammers since, returning five goals and six assists.
Last season, he was one of the first names on the team sheet, featuring 31 times in the Premier League while chipping in with two goals and an assist.
However, he’s one of many players who are not in manager Graham Potter’s long-term plans and has been placed on the chopping block.
West Ham have already brought in the highly rated El Hadji Malick Diouf to replace Emerson, and the Senegalese defender has caught the eye in his first few games.
Emerson is in the final year of his contract at the London Stadium, so West Ham are open to cashing in before the transfer window closes.
West Ham would be wise to get Emerson off their books this summer. If they don’t, he’d be able to sign a pre-contract agreement in January and more than likely leave the club on a free transfer next summer.
The Italian winger is one of the highest earners on West Ham’s books, taking home £95,000 per week.
Shipping him off would ease their wage bill and help to fund Potter’s squad rebuild.
After losing their opening two Premier League games by a combined scoreline of 8-1, it’s painfully obvious that the current squad isn’t well-equipped to compete at the highest level.
Potter is already under enormous pressure, but there are still a number of holes that need to be plugged in the squad.
One area that requires urgent reinforcement is the midfield. West Ham have been linked with a few names, with [Adrien Rabiot the latest on their radar](https://westhamblog.co.uk/posts/west-ham-table-bid-for-french-midfielder-adrien-rabiot/).
It remains to be seen if they can plug the necessary gaps before the transfer window closes.