Chelsea set to offer new contract to defender

Chelsea are reportedly planning to reward defender Emerson Palmieri with a new and improved deal following his impressive start to the curren campaign.

The Italy international has been regarded as the deputy to Marcos Alonso for the left-back role in the past 18 months but he has managed to move ahead in the pecking order under manager Frank Lampard.

According to Gazzetta dello Sport, the Blues are planning to negotiate a new long-term contract with the Italian despite his existing deal only expiring in the summer of 2022.

It is added that the defender is set to earn a £1m rise on his current £3.5m annual wages while the salary could be further enhanced by the presence of performance-related bonuses.

Emerson has been ever-present for the Blues during the opening four league games and also featured for 120 minutes of the UEFA Super Cup clash against Liverpool.

He is currently on international duty with Italy and contributed an assist during the recent 3-1 triumph over Armenia in the European 2020 qualifiers.