Nottingham Forest have made an enquiry regarding Chelsea defender Emerson Palmieri, according to the Evening Standard.Â
The lowdown: Moreno alternative
The Reds had been actively pursuing a deal for Real Betis left-back Alex Moreno and were seemingly edging towards a deal for their long-term target before the Spaniard opted to stay in his homeland.
Forest were even believed to have reached an agreement to sign the full-back for £9million, taking the overall expenditure at the City Ground beyond the £90million mark for the Premier League new boys.
Now, it appears as though Dane Murphy is wasting little time in moving on to alternative options and 28-year-old Italy international Emerson could be the next on the radar in the Midlands…
The latest: Enquiry made
As per the Evening Standard, Nottingham Forest are understood to have ‘enquired’ about the availability of the 27-cap star.
It’s claimed that Serie A giants Juventus are also ‘still interested’ in acquiring Emerson’s services this summer, although the capture of Filip Kostic this week could cool their admiration.
The report makes no mention of a fee required to sign the Brazil-born ace who was praised for his ‘unbelievable qualities’ by Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel in 2021.
The verdict: Make it happen
Boasting a wealth of experience from his spells at Lyon, Roma and Santos, Emerson would be a smart addition to Steve Cooper’s ranks.
Predominantly utilised as a left-back last season, the marauding Italian scored once and provided two assists in 36 appearances across all competitions, earning a 6.91 Sofascore rating whilst winning 4.9 duels, completing 1.0 successful dribble and making 2.1 clearances on average per Ligue 1 outing on loan at Lyon.
Capable of operating in more advanced positions and centrally, Emerson – who shares similar stylistic traits to the likes of Dani Carvajal, Benjamin Pavard and Alex Telles (FBref) – appears ready-made to slot into Cooper’s preferred 3-4-1-2 system.
Valued at £12.6million and under contract until 2024 (Transfermarkt), this is likely to be an affordable venture for the Forest hierarchy and if possible, the Reds should look to reach an agreement at around a similar fee to that agreed for Moreno.
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