Three big questions: Chelsea’s Emerson and narratives
By Travis Tyler
Emerson is all but certain to be gone when the new Chelsea season begins but is not yet. What questions can be asked ahead of the new season?
It is not really Emerson’s fault that it never really kicked off at Chelsea. After all, no amount of Twitter hashtag campaigns calling for justice can make a player what he is not. Emerson was always a bargain buy and one that was never truly able to pass the player he was brought in to pass. His time at the club is up and it really is not his fault the inevitable happened. But he remains a Chelsea player, so what questions can be asked ahead of the new season?
1. Where is he headed?
It was pretty well expected that Emerson would have to leave before Chelsea could bring in Ben Chilwell. The Blues got tired of waiting apparently. With Chilwell in, Emerson is expected to be the next player out.
Inter Milan was the mostly heavily linked but there was an initial delay over Antonio Conte’s future being determined. Once that was settled, Inter seemed hesitant to pay the price Chelsea was demanding. They turned their attention towards Aleksandar Kolarov which seemingly precludes an Emerson transfer.
That will leave the Blues scrambling as Emerson to Inter seemed like a sure thing. Now they will have to find a location for a player that showed flashes of brilliance but rarely put it all together in the last three seasons. They will need to do so at a time when few teams can afford to pay big prices, let alone on a risk like Emerson.
The biggest thing the Blues have going for them is Emerson is still rated in Italy. Inter Milan may have changed tactics, but that does not mean every Italian club will. Italian clubs love a loan with an option to buy which may be the best Chelsea can get.
Alternatively, the Blues could perhaps figure out something with Leicester given they will be needing a left back and they are getting priced out of moves. There is understandable hesitation about Emerson in England, but that would at least solve the problem for Leicester in a way that is cheaper than their alternatives.
What absolutely cannot happen is Chelsea ends up with Emerson for a season. He has already shown he is behind Marcos Alonso and even Cesar Azpilicueta in the depth chart. Add Chilwell and Emerson has no chance. The Blues need to move him on and the player needs to move.