Another defender close to Chelsea exit

Chelsea defender Emerson Palmieri is set to join the list of players who have left Stamford Bridge this summer.

Palmieri is close to leaving the Blues after they reached an agreement with West Ham over transfer fees, according to Fabrizio Romano.

With the arrival of Marc Cucurella from Brighton, whom Thomas Tuchel considers as an option for both left centre-back and wing-back option, Emerson is being considered a surplus to requirements at Chelsea.

As of now, the Blues are left with four left-backs at their disposal, which includes Ben Chilwell and Marcos Alonso, with one or both of them likely to also leave the club this summer.

Alonso’s transfer to Barcelona has been confirmed by Tuchel, while Emerson is now close to switching to West Ham.

“Emerson Palmieri deal is fully agreed between clubs [Chelsea and West Ham] since yesterday,” the Italian transfer expert wrote on Twitter.

“The agreement is] £13million fixed fee plus £2m in add-ons.

“There are still things to discuss on the player’s side.”