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Emerson Palmieri loaned to Lyon by Chelsea

Emerson has represented Italy four times in his career.

Chelsea has loaned Italy left-back Emerson Palmieri to the French club Lyon on Thursday for the rest of the season.

In the pecking order of left-backs behind Ben Chilwell and Marcos Alonso, Emerson, who spent the last three and a half seasons at Chelsea, drops as the third choice.

Emerson has represented Italy four times in his career, including the final against England, during the victorious Euro 2020 campaign. In Chelsea’s 3-0 victory over Crystal Palace in the English top-flight opener last week, the left-back even came off the bench.

Both clubs confirmed the season-long loan that looked like an actual transfer for a hot minute but will be just a temporary arrangement after all — for a €500k fee (with another €500k in potential bonuses).

Lyon has a complete buy-option, perhaps as high as €15m. Meanwhile, In a recent interview with ESPN, Emerson confirmed that he has two years left on his Chelsea contract.

Rather astonishingly, given Emerson’s overall lack of contribution since pretty much day one after arriving at Chelsea in January 2017 — just 71 appearances in 3.5+ seasons, less than half of which, 33, have come in the Premier League — this will be his first spell in the loan squad.

Lyon ended fourth in Ligue 1 last season and has progressed off to a rather poor start. They are without a win in the first two games of the season and were at the incorrect end of a 3-0 scoreline against Angers SCO last weekend.

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