- Chelsea unveil Emerson Palmieri, confirm contract details and shirt number
- Fee reportedly £17.5m as Conte addresses key area
- Remains to be seen if any more new signings follow former Roma star
- READ MORE: Terms agreed: Chelsea star unlocks £78m+ transfer merry-go-round, great news for Arsenal
Chelsea officially announced the signing of Emerson Palmieri on Tuesday, with Antonio Conte welcoming a crucial reinforcement to the club.
The 23-year-old can play a number of roles on the left flank, and given that Marcos Alonso has been heavily relied upon so far this season, it will be music to the ears of most Chelsea fans to see additional competition for places and cover.
Alonso has made 33 appearances already this season, and a glance at his run of games in the Premier League shows that he has rarely not played a full 90 minutes which isn’t sustainable given Chelsea are still in the hunt for a top-four finish and trophies with the FA Cup and Champions League.
As per the club’s official site, Palmieri has signed a four-and-a-half-year contract with the Blues, while he will wear the No.33 shirt at Stamford Bridge.
Meanwhile, The Sun claim that the deal will cost Chelsea £17.5m, and putting aside the fact that he has still to show he has fully recovered after suffering a serious knee injury last season, he did impress at the Stadio Olimpico to suggest that he will be a decent signing for Conte.
Coupled with the fact that he’s still just 23 and has plenty of room for improvement, it’s a sensible addition for Chelsea, one they will undoubtedly hope can make an impact in the short-term and long-term future as Blues fans wait to see whether or not he will be the last new arrival this month before Wednesday night’s deadline.
Get to know our new signing, @EmersonPalmieri! #WelcomeEmerson pic.twitter.com/IfqcReFSPz
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) January 30, 2018