West Ham United left-back Emerson Palmieri is being heavily linked with a move away from the London Stadium.
Emerson Palmieri joined West Ham from Chelsea in the summer of 2022, for a fee believed to be worth around £13 million.
The Italy international has proven to be a brilliant signing for the Hammers, and he enjoyed a fantastic 2023/24 season.
However, Julen Lopetegui faces the very real prospect of losing Emerson this summer, with a return to Italy apparently on the cards for the 29-year-old.
The likes of Roma and AC Milan are said to be keeping a very close eye on the Hammers left-back.
Lopetegui has so much work to do at the London Stadium already this summer, so selling Emerson and then replacing him certainly won’t be one of his main priorities.
The West Ham boss obviously won’t want to lose the former Chelsea man, but if he does, signing an adequate replacement, or even an upgrade upon the Italian will be crucial.
And it seems like that’s exactly what Lopetegui is looking into doing…
West Ham want to sign Brazilian to replace Emerson Palmieri
The 29-year-old was one of the Hammers’ best and most consistent performers last season.
In 36 Premier league appearances, the Italian bagged one goal and two assists.
During those appearances, Emerson averaged 2.9 tackles, 1.2 interceptions and 2.4 clearances per game (Who Scored).
He offers a real threat and provides a genuine outlet for us down the left hand flank, and he improved massively as a defender last season as well.
It took the Italy international time to settle down to life at the London Stadium, but when he did he made the £13 million fee that we paid for him look like mere pocket change.
But what if he leaves? Has Lopetegui got a replacement lined up? It seems like the Spaniard most definitely has…
According to Inter Live, the Hammers are planning for life after Emerson with a move to sign Inter Milan’s Brazil international Carlos Augusto.
The 25-year-old can play as an orthodox left-back or as a wing-back, so he’d be ideally suited to Lopetegui’s setup.
Augusto is incredibly quick and possesses an absolute wand of a left foot. He’s a really tough tackler, and plays with a certain kind of tenacity that makes him ideally suited for the intensely physical nature of Premier League football.
So in conclusion, I certainly don’t want Emerson Palmieri to leave West Ham this summer.
However, if the club do decide to sell him, I’ll be more than happy with Augusto coming in to replace him.
READ ALSO:
Moyes shows whole world why he lost West Ham job during Scotland vs Switzerland clash
Fellow player says Lucas Paqueta should be banned for 40 years for betting breaches
West Ham on verge of dream centre-back partnership as Julen Lopetegui eyes stunning double deal