Maurizio Sarri has been keen for Lazio to sign Emerson Palmieri for months now and he’s hopeful of a move this summer.
The Biancocelesti clearly need to sign a new left back in the summer following the poor year by Elseid Hysaj, which forced Sarri to adapt Adam Marusic and Stefan Radu to the role. Emerson is a player who has been wanted by the Lazio coach for a long time now and this desire hasn’t disappeared.
As reported by Corriere dello Sport (via LazioNews24), Emerson still tops Sarri’s list of possible new Lazio left backs, but a significant obstacle may make a deal impossible. Lyon were impressed with the 27-year-old’s work whilst on loan this season and could look to make his stay permanent.
Should Lyon decide not to sign the Euro 2020 winner, then Lazio would been keen to make a move. Emerson’s contract expires with Chelsea in 2024 and it’s likely that they’d ask for around €15 million this summer, which seems a little out of the Biancocelesti’s reach.
Apollo’s Thoughts
Emerson is someone who has endlessly been linked with a move to Lazio over the last year, with Sarri clearly desperate to be reunited with the Chelsea left back. Whilst the move seems like a fairly good idea for the Roman club, the major issue is the price; it seems pretty hard to imagine Lazio shoring up the €15 million needed to secure his signature and the chances of Lyon redeeming the 27-year-old appears to be high.
Looking at the stats, it’s not hard to see why Sarri is so keen to pick up Emerson. In the last 365 days, the 27-year-old has averaged 71.43 attempted passes per 90 minutes, of which he completed 85.3%. He’s also comfortable carrying the ball forward, averaging 6.09 progressive carries across the same period.
