With a contract expiring in 2022, meaning this is the last chance for Chelsea to make some money back, Emerson Palmieri has never been closer to leaving Stamford Bridge.
The Italy international has been linked with a move away from the Blues for what feels like forever, and yet, despite a deluge of stories suggesting clubs like Juventus and Inter could loan him or buy him outright, he remains as an option for whoever is manager in London.
Thomas Tuchel’s arrival at the helm didn’t do much for Palmieri’s game time, but there is one manager in Europe who likes what he has to offer, and that’s Luciano Spalletti, expected to take over in Naples.
Gazzetta dello Sport are the ones reporting it, claiming the 62-year-old ‘could convince’ the Chelsea defender to return to Italy, where he played under him at AS Roma.
It’s made clear Napoli ‘need to reinforce’ the left-back position and Palmieri is ‘the most followed profile by the director of football’ Cristiano Giuntoli.
The belief is ‘€10m or so could be enough to convince Chelsea to let him go, especially because the kid has his contract expiring in June 2022’.
