Chelsea pair Emerson & Zouma could leave amid Lyon & West Ham interest

Nizaar Kinsella

Chelsea pair Emerson & Zouma could leave amid Lyon & West Ham interest image

Chelsea duo Emerson Palmieri and Kurt Zouma could still leave the club during the summer transfer window amid interest from Lyon and West Ham, Goal can confirm.

Both players have been the subject of interest from various clubs across the summer, but no deal has been finalised.

Thomas Tuchel remains keen to trim his squad, however, and the duo could be moved on before the transfer window closes.

What's the latest on Emerson?

French side Lyon have approached Chelsea with a loan offer that includes an option to buy the left-back.

The Ligue 1 side are looking for a season-long loan deal, with Emerson's current contract set to run down at the end of the 2021-22 campaign.

The Blues, however, have an option to trigger an additional year in the 27-year-old's contract, meaning they would almost certainly not allow the defender to leave for free.

Emerson, who has previously been the subject of interest from Juventus, Inter and Napoli, is currently priced at £20 million ($28m), although interested parties expect that number can be negotiated down.

Speaking about his future, the European Championship winner told ESPN Brasil: "I know it’s not easy, but I’m hungry to play. I want to play, I know I can be out on the pitch, I’ve proved that.

"So I’m going to do everything I can to be on the pitch. Of course, I still have two more years on my contract with Chelsea, which is a great club. I’ve already proved that I can play here, but at the same time I want to be on the pitch. I want to play, I want to feel important, like I already did.

"I want to have the same feeling I felt when I scored against Atletico Madrid, to have the same feeling when I won the Champions League. And I will really choose the best option. If it’s to stay at Chelsea, or if it happens to be Napoli or another team.

"I still have another 25 days to think about it, to be able to choose the the best place to be - where they really want me and where I can be happy."

What's the latest on Zouma?

It is understood that West Ham have reignited their interest in the France international after Tottenham scuppered the Hammers' chances of signing Nikola Milinkovic from Fiorentina.

Chelsea retain an interest in Sevilla's Jules Kounde and getting Zouma off their books would free up a spot in the squad for his countryman.

A sticking point for West Ham, however, is the Blues' £25m ($35m) valuation of Zouma, which is beyond what David Moyes' side are willing to pay.

Further reading

Nizaar Kinsella

Nizaar Kinsella Photo

Nizaar Kinsella is a Chelsea correspondent with experience covering international football at the World Cup and European Championships. He is a trusted voice within the Chelsea community, attending almost every game and having spent many years doing so. Coverage on Goal.com has seen him invited onto CNN, BBC Radio 5 Live, TalkSport and BeINSports to comment on the turbulent world of the Stamford Bridge club. He previously worked for the Daily Mirror and BBC Radio Manchester, as well as a period working in the UK charity sector.