West Ham United have signed Italy international Emerson Palmieri from London rivals Chelsea, the club confirmed on Tuesday night. The left-back joins compatriots Gianluca Scamacca and Angelo Ogbonna at the London Stadium
The Hammers have paid rivals Chelsea a 13 million pound fee – plus two million in add-ons – to sign the left-back as cover for stalwart Aaron Cresswell. The Italian has signed a four-year contract with the East London outfit, switching allegiances after two-and-a-half seasons in West London – and one on loan in Lyon – with the option to extend it by another year if the club deems it desirable.
Speaking to the West Ham United website for the first time since his arrival, the 28-year-old expressed his delight at signing for the club.
“Personally, since the first day I arrived here in England, I always saw the big clubs and I always watched the big games and I knew the history about West Ham.
The history is so, so big for this team and so when I knew about the interest for sure I said ‘Yes, let’s go, I want to go there’ and I’m here now!”
Emerson, who will wear his beloved number 33 for West Ham, has become the club’s seventh signing of the summer window. The Hammers got the ball rolling with the capture of Nayef Aguerd from Stade Rennes, before turning Alphonse Areola’s loan stay permanent and bringing in England youth international Flynn Downes from Swansea City.
David Moyes and co then completed a remarkable double coup for Scamacca and Maxwel Cornet and boosted the numbers in their squad with the signing of Paris Saint-Germain’s Thilo Kehrer.
