The Blues have been in search of proper cover for Marcos Alonso for a while and have finally landed their man.
Chelsea have announced the signing of Roma full-back Emerson Palmieri, 23, for a fee of £17.6m, according to the BBC.
The Brazilian-Italian defender joins on a four-and-a-half year deal from Serie A and will wear the number 33 shirt.
Moving from Santos to Roma in December 2016, the 23-year-old made 47 appearances in Italy, scoring two goals. However, he has missed much of this season due to a knee injury sustained in the first few weeks of the campaign.
As a result, he has only featured twice this term.
A Brazilian youth international, Palmieri switched his allegiance to Italy after officially acquiring Italian citizenship. Although yet to make his Italy debut, he has been included in past squad selections.
As reported by the BBC, Emerson said: “Today I am realising one of my dreams to pull on the shirt of such a great club.
“English football is something I have been watching since I was 15 years old. It is a really beautiful game over here.”
Chelsea have been in hot pursuit of a left-back this January as cover and competition for Marcos Alonso. Having allowed Kenedy to leave on loan for Newcastle, it was expected that the Emerson deal would happen and the Stamford Bridge club will be delighted with their capture.
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