Emerson Palmieri has opened up on his exit from Chelsea this summer with the Italy international having made the move to Ligue 1 outfit Lyon on a season-long loan arrangement.
Thomas Tuchel had been heavily backed to trim down his first-team squad size and Emerson’s name featured among those who were in line to call it quits at Stamford Bridge with limited opportunities coming their way.
Serie A side Napoli had been rumoured to be leading the race at one stage to land the Chelsea wing-back but Emerson ended up signing terms with Lyon who had kept tabs on the Euros 2020 winner.
The 26-year-old has now explained the decision ( via Fabrizio Romano) to leave the Blues in the transfer window this summer with Italy boss Roberto Mancini key to Emerson’s reasoning behind staging an exit from Stamford Bridge.
Emerson has admitted that the lack of regular first-team football was a major factor in his joining Lyon with the Italian revealing that Napoli had approached him for a transfer but the move fell through later on.
“After the Euros, I wanted to get regular playing time and feel important. I couldn’t play consistently at Chelsea and [Roberto] Mancini told me that, at my level, I should have stayed on the pitch as much as possible,” he told La Gazzetta dello Sport.
“I had spoken to Spalletti and gave the green light to move to Napoli, I don’t know why the deal collapsed. Lyon offered me a good project and I decided in two or three days.
“I think it was a correct choice, there is a young and united group here and the Brazilians Paquetà, Guimaraes, Mendes and Henrique helped me settle in.
“It will be challenging to win the title because PSG are on a different level, but we must try.
