Chelsea fullback Emerson Palmieri is perhaps one of the players subject to the most transfer rumours in 2020.
The 26-year-old is being heavily linked to a return to Italy, where giants such as Inter Milan, Juventus and AC Milan were all said to be chasing him.
But there are now some new stories saying Napoli are actually leading the pursuit, and their chances were covered by Radio Marte on Friday.
Sky Italia journalist Luca Marchetti was invited by Marte Sport Live, and said there are real chances for the player to return to Serie A.
“Do Napoli have a chance to catch Emerson Palmieri in January? Yes, without a doubt”, Marchetti told Marte (via Area Napoli).
“The player is followed by the Azzurri and wants to leave, but we need to understand the general context in which we find ourselves.”
“We must bear in mind that there’s no money and we’ll need imaginative formulas, such as very long loans or particularly deferred payments, to be able to carry out transactions of a certain type in the next negotiation sessions. The point is that we must try not to flood the wage bill.
“Emerson Palmieri can also come away for free, according to Chelsea’s ideas, but the boy wouldn’t come to Italy for free: he must be paid and space is needed for his large salary. That said, it should also be reiterated that Napoli, in Serie A, are the most solid club in terms of financial statements.”
Emerson Palmieri is clearly not one of Frank Lampard’s favourites in Chelsea’s squad. The fullback only has six appearances for the Blues this season, with only eight minutes played in the Premier League.
That’s why in Italy they’re so confident that it won’t be hard to take him away from the Stamford Bridge, although it’s unclear why these claims say he could be signed for free, as there are nearly two years left on his contract.
