Olympique Lyon have reportedly rejected Chelsea’s initial approach to recall Emerson Palmieri back from loan to the Premier League during the January transfer window.
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The Blues are in need of a new left-back after it was confirmed that Ben Chilwell will need to have to undergo surgery, which means he will be out for the rest of the season. The 26-year-old suffered an injury in the UEFA Champions League game against Juventus in November 2021.
Emerson was down the pecking order during the summer transfer window as he was behind Chilwell and Alonso in the selection, so he was allowed to leave on a loan deal to the Ligue 1 club for a season. According to reports from L’Equipe, the Italian does not have a recall clause in his deal but rather it has an option to buy clause in his contract.
Chelsea will now look at Lucas Digne from Everton who has fallen out of favour with Rafael Benitez, as a short-term replacement for Chilwell
