West Ham United may well have to sign a replacement for Emerson Palmieri this summer.
Emerson Palmieri has been a key player for West Ham since joining us from Chelsea in a £13 million deal in the summer of 2022.
The 29-year-old went from strength-to-strength last season, and actually ended up being one of our best players of the campaign.
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.
Losing Emerson would be a bitter pill to swallow, after his exceptional form for the Hammers over the past year.
However, a contingency plan needs to be put in place just in case the former Chelsea man does leave us this summer.
And it seems as though that’s exactly what Lopetegui has in mind – a potential signing just in case Emerson moves on…
West Ham eye potential Emerson Palmieri replacement
So Lopetegui is clearly preparing for the worst-case scenario, whereby Emerson would leave the London Stadium this summer.
Obviously, none of us want that to happen, but if he does push for a move back to Italy, who will Lopetegui look to bring in?
According to a report from La Lazio Siamo Noi, Lazio left-back Luca Pellegrini could be a key target for the Hammers this summer.
Interestingly enough, West Ham tried to sign the 25-year-old back in the summer of 2022 in an £8.4 million deal, but he joined Eintracht Frankfurt in the end.
The Italian then moved to Lazio on loan, and the Serie A side have an obligation to buy him from Juventus this summer.
However, it seems like his stay in the Italian capital could be short-lived, with the Hammers eyeing him up.
Described as a player with ‘incredible pace’ (Breaking the Lines), I think Pellegrini would be a fine addition for the Hammers this summer.
The 25-year-old is incredibly fast, as mentioned above, and that’s something we lack as a team right now.
Pellegrini is a solid defender and offers a lot going forward, and is at an age where he will undoubtedly continue to improve at a fairly fast rate as well.
West Ham could face competition from Aston Villa for his signature though, so we certainly won’t have a clear path to signing him.
Much will depend on how much Lazio want for him. If he’s available for £15 million or less, I think he’d be a solid replacement for Emerson Palmieri at West Ham, if the 29-year-old does indeed leave the London Stadium.
However, anything more than that and I believe that Lopetegui should look elsewhere.
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