Amid all the excitement surrounding El Hadji Malick Diouf’s fine start to life at West Ham United, it may have slipped the mind that Emerson Palmieri remains contracted to the Premier League outfit.
It is almost two months now since Graham Potter reportedly told Emerson he was free to leave.
The Brazil-born Italy international lost his place to 2024/25 Young Hammer of the Year Ollie Scarles towards the back end of last season. And with El Hadji Malick Diouf now in the building, a £19 million fee invested in the former Slavia Prague starlet, Emerson has fallen even further down the West Ham United pecking order.
Yet, despite being omitted from the club’s pre-season tour of the USA, there appears to have been a distinct lack of movement surrounding the former Chelsea and Roma man in recent weeks.
Hammers News were informed, via football correspondent Graeme Bailey, that Real Betis pulled out of signing Emerson Palmieri in favour of Junior Firpo. Elland Road cult hero Firpo returned to the club where he made his name once his Leeds contract expired in July.
But, while suggestions of an imminent switch to Lazio earlier in the window proved to be wide of the mark, the prospect of Emerson making a return to the Italian capital continues to be pushed by the Italian media.
Watch this space, as they say.
Italian press explain why Lazio have not signed West Ham United misfit Emerson Palmieri yet
Gazzetta dello Sport, one of the most influential publications in Italy, reiterate earlier claims that Emerson was the first-choice of Lazio boss Maurizio Sarri.
Sarri, of course, knows Emerson well. They worked together at Chelsea. West Ham’s number 33 even started during that Eden Hazard-inspired, 4-1 demolition of Arsenal in the 2019 UEFA Europa League final in Azerbaijan.
Gazzetta dello Sport go on to explain, however, that Lazio’s ‘transfer freeze has upended the situation and [their] plans’.
The Biancocelesti are in a bit of a financial hole, necessitating Sarri to look inwards for solutions. Danilo Cataldi and Matteo Cancellieri, loaned out to Fiorentina and Parma last season, are being dubbed ‘new signings’, while Sarri has taken it upon himself to transform Nuno Tavares – now likely to stay despite interest from Saudi Arabia – into a left-back suitable for his system.
“Nuno Tavares is the only unknown defensively,” Sarri said of the swashbuckling but error-prone Iberian. “He’s strong but unruly. If we can find a way to position him, he’ll be incredibly strong.”
President Claudio Lotito has already admitted Lazio need to sell before they reinvest funds in the likes of Emerson Palmieri. So far, despite claims that West Ham were interested in Valentin ‘Taty’ Castellanos and the aforementioned Tavares, only two players have departed the Stadio Olimpico for cash sums since the summer began.
So, if Lazio are to bring a one-time Roma favourite back to his old stomping ground, they know what they must do.
El Hadji Malick Diouf impresses Tony Cottee in Bournemouth win
Emerson joined West Ham in a £13 million deal from London neighbours Chelsea in 2022. He made 32 appearances across all competitions last term, winning the club’s Goal of the Season award for that wonderful free-kick against Arsenal.
However, after turning 31 a few days ago and with youngsters Diouf and Scarles competing for a starting role now, Potter has made it clear that Emerson is free to go the same way as fellow veterans Vladimir Coufal, Lukasz Fabianski, Danny Ings and Aaron Cresswell.
West Ham bid an official farewell to Michail Antonio on Thursday, too.
As for Diouf, Hammers legend Tony Cottee was reminded of Manchester United icon David Beckham when watching the big-money summer signing create both of their goals during the 2-0 pre-season win over AFC Bournemouth in Atlanta.
“The crosses that came in from Diouf, unbelievable!” Cottee says, the Senegal international creating Niclas Fullkrug’s opener before delivering a devastating cross for Jarrod Bowen in the second-half.
“I get so frustrated watching modern football. They get the ball out wide and they don’t cross it. But the ball was going out to Diouf and he just whipped in two fantastic crosses that West Ham scored from,” Cottee adds.
“You look at David Beckham as a great example. One touch, whip it in.
“And, as a forward, you don’t want the ball going out wide, [the winger] checking, then going back again. Just put the ball in the box! Defenders hate it, forwards love it. If I was Fullkrug, I would be excited.
“You’ve got [Aaron] Wan-Bissaka one side, you’ve got Diouf the other side. You’ve got Bowen as well. [Lucas] Paqueta, who can make things happen. There are some real positives for West Ham.”
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