[ad_pod ]

Historically, Chelsea have been more than willing to conduct their business in January transfer windows. Some of the Blues’ most recognisable names in recent years were purchased in January, as was exemplified by the acquisitions of David Luiz and Fernando Torres in January 2011.

This tendency persisted during the previous January transfer window, when Olivier Giroud joined the club, concluding his five-and-a-half-year association with Arsenal. Chelsea have developed a habit of signing their rival’s former fan favourites, most prominent of all are Ashley Cole and Cesc Fabregas. While the Frenchman’s arrival was rightly the subject of much media attention, it lessened the focus that was placed on another signing, Emerson Palmieri.

Despite being 24-years-old, Emerson has yet to amass 100 senior appearances in club football, and although that statistic is utterly astonishing, he is representing a club of great stature in the form of the FA Cup winners.

During his two-and-a-half years at AS Roma, the Italian defender had established himself as one of Serie A’s most exciting and enterprising full-backs. Technically, the 24-year-old is exceedingly accomplished – which isn’t surprising given his Brazilian heritage. Furthermore, he’s quick, agile and can transition from one end of the pitch to the other rather seamlessly.

While the Italian international only made 47 appearances for his former employees, his 2016-17 campaign was significant in the context of his progression as a player, and it heralded comparisons to Alex Sandro – who has comfortably been the best full-back in Serie A for a substantial period.

This isn’t to insinuate that the 24-year-old is of a comparable standard to Sandro, but it is a useful indication of how admired he was in Italy. Much to his disappointment, a cruciate ligament rupture stifled his progress at Roma, as he was absent for the best part of five months; losing his starting spot in their side.

Subsequently, Emerson only made nine appearances throughout the entirety of last season, and despite his limited involvement in Chelsea blue, the Italian made a purposeful start to life in England. The 24-year-old was especially industrious on his debut against Hull City, creating Olivier Giroud’s first goal for the Blues thanks to determination and ingenuity. And, while he only made another six appearances for the club last season, his performances were undoubtedly impressive.

During his brief spell as a Chelsea player, he has proven to be a dependable figure for the club, deputising ably in Marcos Alonso’s absence last season, as the Spaniard was suspended for three consecutive games. Emerson started all three fixtures, he played the full ninety minutes against Burnley and Swansea City in the Premier League, and he was entrusted to start against Southampton in the semi-final of the FA Cup.

On his first Premier League start for the club against Burnley, he registered his inaugural assist in England’s top-flight, as his looping cross found Victor Moses who scored the winning goal. His usefulness was reiterated against Swansea and Southampton, as the Blues recorded two successive clean sheets during a season that was laced with defensive vulnerability. Also, he continued to display his attacking prowess in both games, most notably with a darting run away at Swansea City which almost concluded in a memorable goal.

Once Alonso had served his suspension he was reinstated as the club’s primary left wing-back, and he continues to thrive as Chelsea’s starting left-back, unsurprisingly, given the Spaniard’s attacking exploits. In fact, Alonso has scored a staggering total of 15 goals since joining the club at the start of the 2016/17 season, 14 of which have been in the Premier League. Moreover, when you factor in his assists, Alonso has been directly involved in 26 goals since joining Chelsea, having registered 11 assists – four of which have come in his first four games this campaign.

With this in mind, and with Alonso being touted as one of the best full-backs on the planet – a notion that Sarri has publicly endorsed – it would be foolish to suggest that Emerson should instantly displace the 27-year-old. That said, the 24-year-old – who is valued at £18M by transfermarkt - hasn’t been considered at all by Maurizio Sarri since he took charge at Chelsea.

Emerson hasn’t featured in a single matchday squad this season, despite being deputy to Marcos Alonso. To date, Maurizio Sarri has favoured Davide Zappacosta with a position on the substitutes bench, and while the Italian has previously played on the left side of the defence for Chelsea, he is a right-back by trade.

It’s important to recognise that Emerson’s involvement will conceivably increase during the Blues’ Carabao Cup and Europa League campaigns, and Sarri has publicly admitted that he favours attacking options on the bench. Nevertheless, the Italian’s decision to exclude Emerson from the match day squad on five successive occasions seems particularly strange. For a player that once displayed such promise, and a great deal of maturity and reliability last season, he deserves to be considered as an option for Maurizio Sarri.

[brid autoplay="true" video="292153" player="12034" title="Watch The FPL Show GW5 differentials you need to consider"]