"I'm a man of my word" - Emerson Palmieri explains why he didn't cut short Lyon loan spell for Chelsea return

Olympique Lyonnais defender Emerson Palmieri has revealed why he did not cut short his loan spell to return to Chelsea in January.

The 27-year-old was linked with a return to Stamford Bridge just six months after leaving after an injury to Ben Chilwell. He has now stated that the decision not to cut short his loan spell rested with him.

Speaking on the failed move, the Italy international said:

''I did not return to Chelsea because I promised Juninho that I would stay for a season. I am a man of my word. I like being in Lyon, I want to be here."

Palmieri added:

"For next season, it's hard to say because it depends on the clubs but I'm happy here."

Palmieri joined the Blues from AS Roma in January 2018 for an estimated fee of €29m. He, however, struggled for game time, with Marcos Alonso being preferred in his position.

Chilwell's arrival in 2020 further pushed him down the pecking order and he had to seek a loan transfer to get regular playing time. However, the Englishman's long-term injury saw the Blues search for a replacement left-back and speculation was rife that they would cut Palmieri's loan spell short.

However, that was not the case and the former Santos man is set to complete the duration of his 12-month spell with the Ligue 1 outfit.

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Does Emerson Palmieri still have a future at Chelsea?

Malang Sarr has been a regular in recent weeks.

Palmieri made just 33 league appearances in five seasons with Chelsea, which underlined his bit-part role in the squad.

By contrast, he already has 20 Ligue 1 appearances under his belt at Lyon. Palmieri has also opened his goal account for the French club while he failed to find the back of the net in the Premier League.

With Malang Sarr returning from his loan spell and now a mainstay in the first team, competition down Chelsea's left flank has become much sterner.

It remains to be seen whether Lyon will make Palmieri's transfer permanent or not, but his future might be best served by remaining with Les Gones.