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Long expected to return to Italy where Luciano Spalletti would be delighted to be reunited with him, Emerson Palmieri could end up heading to France.

Lyon in Ligue 1 are keen to give the Euro 2020 winner some time on the pitch, something he is sorely lacking at Chelsea, and a loan is being looked at.

The one problem in all this, much like any temporary deal involving Tiemoué Bakayoko, is that the Italy international’s contract at Stamford Bridge was due to expire in 2022.

That’s been sorted, however, according to Foot Mercato, as the French website explain Emerson Palmieri ‘has seen his deal extended until 2023’, thus allowing him to head to Lyon without the worry of the Blues losing out on a potential sale down the line.

The Chelsea defender is a very appreciated man at the Ligue 1 club, where their director of football, Juninho Pernambucano, is an avid fan.

That’s why ‘discussions with Chelsea are about a loan’, and we’ll have to see whether Lyon end up choosing Palmieri or the alternative target, Paris Saint-Germain’s Layvin Kurzawa.