GdS: Spalletti seeks reunion with Ex-West Ham full-back at Juventus | OneFootball

Juventus head coach Luciano Spalletti has reportedly asked the management to pursue his former pupil, Emerson Palmieri.

As La Gazzetta dello Sport explains, the 67-year-old is determined to play an integral part in player recruitment this summer, and he has already received John Elkann’s blessing.

The Juventus patron decided to keep the club’s CEO, Damien Comolli, in his role, but his involvement in the sporting department has been reduced.

Therefore, the Bianconeri could abandon Comolli’s data-driven approach and focus on finding players with strong characters, something that the current squad lacks, as reiterated by Spalletti.

Luciano Spalletti wants Emerson at Juventus

The pink newspaper expects the Tuscan manager to resort to some of his old loyalists, beginning with Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson.

As reported earlier today, Arne Slot’s exit has revived Juve’s hopes of signing the Brazilian shot-stopper.

In addition to Alisson, Bayern Munich defender Kim Min-jae emerged as the favourite to replace Gleison Bremer should the latter be sold in the summer. The South Korean was a rock at the back for Napoli’s Scudetto-winning team under Spalletti in 2022/23.

Moreover, GdS believes Emerson is now a serious target for Juventus, who need to recruit a new left-back. The Italian international has been enjoying a mini-career revival at Marseille.

While it remains to be seen if Andrea Cambiaso will be sacrificed, Filip Kostic’s contract won’t be renewed, and Juan Cabal could be on his way out.

Emerson’s career path & achievements

Emerson is a Santos youth product who rose to prominence during his time under Spalletti at Roma. In January 2018, he was sold to Chelsea, where he remained until 2021.

After a loan spell at Lyon, the Italo-Brazilian signed for West Ham in the summer of 2022, before joining Marseille in January 2025.

The Santos native has a contract with the Ligue 1 giants valid until June 2027 with an option for another year. This season, he contributed with three assists in 37 appearances across all competitions.

Emerson also achieved a rare accolade by winning every UEFA competition. He lifted the Champions League, the European Super Cup, and the Europa League at Chelsea, the Conference League at West Ham, and was part of the Italy squad that won the Euro 2020.