West Ham United have reached a full agreement with Chelsea on a permanent deal for left-back Emerson Palmieri and the player's medical is already taking place.

The Lowdown: Hammers’ left-back woes

After two red cards in the Irons’ sensational Europa League campaign last season, it was reported that Hammers boss David Moyes had identified the need to replace Aaron Cresswell at left-back, with a number of targets on the Scot’s wishlist.

Just a few weeks ago, it seemed like West Ham were close to signing former Eintracht Frankfurt wing-back Filip Kostic, after the Bundesliga outfit accepted a £17m bid for the Serbia international.

However, the 29-year-old ended up snubbing the Hammers for Juventus, leaving GSB to look further down their list of transfer targets.

As a result, speculation involving Chelsea’s Emerson started to emerge, linking him with an imminent Premier League switch.

The Latest: Medical already taking place

After it previously appeared that negotiations had fallen through, Romano has shared a fresh update on West Ham’s pursuit of the Italy international, revealing that a deal has now been agreed.

Taking to Twitter yesterday afternoon, the reliable journalist said a Rush Green medical would actually begin on Monday evening:

“Emerson Palmieri to West Ham, here we go! Full agreement reached on both clubs and player side - been told that deal valid until 2027.

“Fee agreed with Chelsea for £13m fixed plus £2m in add-ons.

“Understand first part of medical tests will be completed today.”

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The Verdict: Much-needed arrival

Having struggled more often towards the end of last season, Cresswell’s increasing unreliability at left-back has hurt Moyes’ team on more than one occasion.

The arrival of Emerson will provide strong competition for the 32-year-old, who is nearing 300 appearances for the Irons, something which can only be good for both player and manager.

Having played regular football whilst on loan at Lyon last season, the Italian's move will allow for more regular rotation throughout the campaign and hopefully get the best out of Cresswell with more rest between fixtures.