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Why Emerson chose Lyon over Napoli

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BySusy Campanale

Aug 19, 2021 14:50 , ,
Chelsea full-back Emerson Palmieri said Napoli’s interest ‘is a great pleasure’ and revealed the Partenopei coach Luciano Spalletti ‘is a friend’. The European champions is not part of the project at the Blues and is looking for a move this summer, hoping to play regularly and secure a place in Italy’s squad for the 2022 World Cup. Emerson won the Champions League with Chelsea last term and picked up the European Championship with the Azzurri this summer, but he will probably leave the Londoners this summer. Napoli are looking for a new left-back and the excellent relationship between former Spalletti and Emerson can play in favour of the Partenopei’s negotiations. “It’s a great pleasure to know about this interest from Napoli,” Emerson told ESPN Brazil. “It’s a great club, not only in Italy. “I’m even happier, given how little I played for Chelsea last season. I want to play, to stay on the pitch, I will do everything to play the cards right. “I have a deal with Chelsea, it’s a great club, I have already shown that I can play here. I would like to be important again for the team, as I have already been. “I don’t care about the position, I’ve always been at the coach’s disposal, but last year I had little space and I couldn’t choose.” About a possible move to Napoli, the Italy international revealed former Roma coach Spalletti’s presence at Napoli could be decisive. “I will choose what I think is the best option for the future. I still have about 20 days to think about all the possibilities, to choose the right place, where I will feel really desired,” Emerson continued. “I’m a lad who likes to choose, we are talking about my life. I want to be the architect of my choices, following my feelings and what makes me happy. “Spalletti at Roma was the coach who gave me the opportunity to get involved. I was 22 or 23 when he told me to ‘go play the first 10 games’, and then another 10, and so on. “It’s not easy to do this, to have patience with a young lad, in an important place like Roma. Slowly, then, things got better and better. He’s a wise coach, a friend, every now and then we speak, he also wished me happy birthday at the beginning of August.”

Chelsea and Italy left-back Emerson Palmieri will have his Olympique Lyonnais medical today, as it emerges he was tired of waiting for Napoli.

The Brazil-born Italy international was in the side that won the UEFA EURO 2020 tournament this summer.

He had hoped for a return to Serie A and a reunion with former Roma coach Luciano Spalletti at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona.

However, Lyon pipped Napoli to the post, agreeing a dry loan without option to buy at the end of the season.

According to le10sport in France, Lyon will pay Chelsea €0.75m for the loan, covering his whole €2.5m net salary.

It’s reported that coach Peter Bosz repeatedly called Emerson to convince him of the move to Ligue 1.

Radio Kiss Kiss also confirm that Napoli were unable to give the ‘financial guarantees’ of Lyon, were keeping him waiting too long for a breakthrough and might now give up on finding a new left-back.

They signed Juan Jesus as a free agent, and the ex-Roma defender can play as a centre-back or on the left.

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BySusy Campanale

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