‘Reliable but unspectacular’ is the verdict of a top Chelsea man as he delivers an honest verdict on potential West Ham signing Emerson.
David Moyes has been desperately looking to strengthen the left side of his Hammers squad.
And as the Scot has tended to do in the transfer market over the last year or so, his gaze turns towards London rivals Chelsea.
West Ham signed Kurt Zouma from Chelsea last summer for £29m. And the Hammers have been chasing Blues striker Armando Broja and midfielder Conor Gallagher too.
Then over the weekend West Ham were linked with a move for Brazilian-born Italy international and Chelsea outcast Emerson Palmieri.
The likes of The Evening Standard and Claret and Hugh have confirmed West Ham have bid for the Chelsea defender.
News of West Ham turning their attentions to 28-year-old Emerson to solve the left-back problem has met with a mixed response from Hammers fans.
Many have questioned whether he is the right signing and enough of an upgrade on Aaron Cresswell.
Supporters were hopeful the club would look to sign a young, modern fullback who gets forward and contributes goals and assists.
Emerson is certainly not that.
Emerson has just five goals and 10 assists for club and country in 162 games. Not a great record considering he is often deployed as a left wingback.
But given West Ham’s desperation for signings, many feel the club could do a lot worse than sign a Chelsea and Italy player, even if Emerson has only managed 33 appearances in his four years since joining the Blues.
As West Ham fans we’re no experts on Emerson, though.
Fortunately our man in the know at Chelsea, Dominic Toner, is.
We spoke to The Chelsea Chronicle journalist about Emerson to give Hammers fans a better insight.
‘Reliable but unspectacular’ Chelsea man delivers honest verdict on potential West Ham signing Emerson
‘Reliable but unspectacular’ the Chelsea man said as he delivers an honest verdict on potential West Ham signing Emerson.
Toner understands why some West Ham fans would be underwhelmed, especially after links to the likes of Filip Kostic, David Raum, Borna Sosa and Ismail Jakobs to name but a few.
But the Chelsea expert says just because Emerson could not cut it at Stamford Bridge does not necessarily mean he can’t be a success at the London Stadium.
“Emerson’s Chelsea career can be split into two parts really,” Toner told Hammers News.
“PART II – Since Ben Chilwell joined the club in 2020, Emerson has had little chance of becoming a regular starter. He was a complete fringe player in the 2020/21 season, and last year he was loaned out to Lyon, which was a deal that worked quite well for him.
“PART I – The first half of his Chelsea career was the first two and a half years at Stamford Bridge, where he had plenty of opportunities. It’s quite telling that he eventually ended up losing out to Marcos Alonso in the battle for the left-back position.
“There were spells he got runs in the team but he’s played under four different managers while at the club in Conte, Sarri, Lampard and now Tuchel and never sufficiently impressed any of them to establish himself in the side.
“The Italian’s got some trickery and likes to get forward as an attack-minded full-back, but his end product isn’t always the best.
“He is defensively sound, though. It probably sounds harsh to say but he’s just not quite Chelsea quality and that’s why he was rotated with Alonso under Sarri and Lampard.
“If he was outstanding at one thing maybe he would’ve played more. To get to the levels Chelsea want they just need better players. Marc Cucurella and Ben Chilwell are the standard in his position right now.
“It wouldn’t be a surprise if he does well for a Premier League rival, though. He’s shown his quality when representing his country Italy, too. He might be limited compared to some of the very best full-backs in the modern game, but he is usually reliable without being spectacular.”
So there you have it West Ham fans, an honest and informed verdict from behind enemy lines so to speak.
Talks with Chelsea and Emerson over a £15m move continue.