Chelsea

Chelsea open to a swap deal involving these two defensive stars

Italy: Serie A: Juventus vs Torino Alex Sandro of Juventus FC during the Serie A football match between Torino FC and Juventus. Sporting stadiums around Italy remain under strict restrictions due to the Coronavirus Pandemic as Government social distancing laws prohibit fans inside venues resulting in games being played behind closed doors. The match ended 2-2 Turin Italy Copyright: AlbertoxGandolfo

Transfer News: Alex Sandro – Emerson Palmieri swap deal on for Chelsea

According to transfer news from Express, Chelsea could be open to a swap deal between Alex Sandro and Emerson Palmieri. Juventus want to get Sandro off their back while maintaining an interest in Emerson.

There were exit links in January 2020 for Emerson but Frank Lampard refused to sanction a sale. Emerson has been underused ever since Lampard took over and the arrival of Ben Chilwell did nothing to help that cause.

Barnsley v Chelsea FA Cup 11/02/2021. Fifth Round Chelsea defender Emerson Palmieri 33 during the FA Cup 5th round match between Barnsley and Chelsea at Oakwell, Barnsley, England on 11 February 2021.

When Alonso fell out of favour, Emerson was given sporadic chances. However, on Tuchel’s appointment, Alonso was straightaway restored as the first-choice wing-back, with even Ben Chilwell struggling for game time.

Emerson has struggled massively to get any sort of game time this season and an exit has been mooted. The Italian has been linked with a move to Juventus, Inter Milan or Napoli. As for Sandro, Juventus want to get rid of his €6m-per-season wages.

FC Porto v Juventus FC Champions League 17/02/2021. Juventus Alex Sandro in action during the UEFA Champions League match between FC Porto and Juventus FC at Estadio do Dragao, Porto, Portugal on 17 February 2021.

With Emerson returning from abroad, he would be able to take advantage of tax cuts and that in turn can help Juve who would then have to shell out half of what they did on Sandro. The Brazilian is a decent full-back to have but he has not shown much progress in the last few seasons.

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This deal hardly makes sense from Chelsea’s perspective. They already have two first-choice left wing-backs in Alonso and Chilwell, who is adjusting well to the new role. Swapping a third-choice for Sandro makes things even more complicated unless they let go of someone like Alonso. By all means, Chelsea should avoid this deal and look to strengthen other required areas.

3 years ago

Sourav Ghosh

Full-time football fan, half-time football writer.