Olympique Lyon left-back Emerson Palmieri has said that he does not understand why he was not able to complete a transfer from Chelsea to Napoli in the summer.
After winning Euro 2020 with Italy, the former Roma defender was expected to return to Serie A and join the Partenopei but the deal fell through.
Despite that, the Italo-Brazilian is happy with his move to Lyon and the Brazilian contingent have made him feel welcome at the French club.
“After the Euros, I wanted to play with continuity, it was important to me,” Emerson told La Gazzetta dello Sport.
“At Chelsea, I had little opportunities and [Italy coach Roberto] Mancini said to me that at my level, I must always been on the ground.
“I spoke to [Napoli coach Luciano] Spalletti and have my agreement to Napoli. I don’t know why it wasn’t done.
“Lyon presented to me a great project and in two or three days, I made my decision. I believe that I have made another fair choice.
“This is a young and united group, and the Brazilians Lucas Paqueta, Bruno Guimaraes, Thiago Mendes, and Henrique have helped me to fit in quickly.”
