- Chelsea tipped to complete €28m signing of Roma defender Emerson Palmieri
- Di Marzio also claims that Giroud is now emerging as the top option up front
- Remains to be seen if Chelsea can complete both deals before Wednesday’s deadline
- READ MORE: Chelsea told to splash out £35m to seal raid on PL rivals and solve major Conte problem
Chelsea will reportedly wrap up the signing of Roma left-back Emerson Palmieri in the coming hours as he travels to London to undergo his medical.
It’s a crucial addition for Antonio Conte, should everything go through as planned, as the Italian tactician is short of options in that department.
Marcos Alonso has played 33 games already this season and regularly completes 90 minutes as there is a lack of cover and competition for him.
That is something Palmieri will address, with Sky Sport Italia journalist Gianluca Di Marzio reporting that a €28m deal has been agreed between the clubs, and the 23-year-old is now set to travel to London to undergo his medical and sign his new contract.
However, current teammate Edin Dzeko will not be joining him at Stamford Bridge it seems, as not only has Di Marzio said that the move has collapsed in the report above, but as seen in his tweet below, he has reported that Arsenal striker Olivier Giroud is now on course to make the switch from north to west London.
#Giroud is closer to @ChelseaFC: talks ongoing well with @Arsenal @SkySport @SkySportsNews
— Gianluca Di Marzio (@DiMarzio) January 29, 2018
If the deal goes through, that signing would be equally as important for Chelsea as they’ve struggled this month to consistently score goals.
Summer signing Alvaro Morata has gone on a six-game streak without a goal, and it could be argued that there is already too much pressure on the Spaniard’s shoulders to lead the line and be the main source of goals for the Blues.
In turn, adding Giroud, who would add a different dynamic up top with his physicality, ability to hold up the ball and link things together along with his aerial threat, would seemingly be a very sensible signing for Chelsea with Conte addressing two obvious weaknesses in his squad.
Di Marzio is rarely wrong, as this is the man who first broke Man Utd’s interest in Alexis Sanchez. As a result, Chelsea may well have two new signings before Wednesday’s transfer deadline.