Roberto De Zerbi To Extend Italian Defender’s Deal After An Impressive Start In Marseille
Emerson Palmieri is set for a longer stay in France than first imagined.
Louis Fargher
Updated on 10 December 2025
Roberto De Zerbi is preparing to extend Emerson Palmieri’s deal after the 32-year-old’s strong start in Marseille.
Marseille To Offer Emerson New Deal
Emerson is set to extend his stay in France after cementing his place under Roberto De Zerbi, as Marseille prepare to trigger his extension clause for another year.
The 31-year-old joined Marseille in September for just €700,000 after being made surplus to requirements by West Ham and Emerson has become a regular member under De Zerbi.
His deal with Marseille is set to expire in June 2027, however, the French side included the option to extend the Italian’s contract for a further season.
Emerson has made 17 appearances in all competitions, starting nine consecutive matches in Ligue 1 and every Champions League fixture – missing MD4 through suspension.
Although Roberto De Zerbi has been linked with a Serie A return, the Italian has still maintained his focus on the task at hand in France and Marseille have enjoyed a promising start to the season.
The Olympians sit third in Ligue 1 despite remaining winless from their last two league fixtures and take up 16th place in the Champions League.
De Zerbi’s men secured a 3-2 victory over Union Saint-Gilloise on December 9th and although Mason Greenwood was the star with two goals – Emerson’s performance did not go unnoticed.
These consistent levels of quality have not only pushed Marseille into an extended deal, but also left Gennaro Gattuso with a decision to make for the Azzurri national team.
Emerson Hopeful Over Azzurri Call-Up
Emerson has not featured for Italy since March 2023, despite accumulating 29 caps for the Azzurri and playing 118 minutes in the nation’s historic European Championship final victory over England in 2021.
At 31-years-old, Emerson’s position in the Azzurri squad has taken a huge hit, with the likes of Destiny Udogie and Federico Dimarco being preferred at left-back.
Gennaro Gattuso has been very vocal about promoting the youth, and Italy U-21 star Luca Koleosho is an example of this as he looks to be recalled by Burnley.
However, the Azzurri manager may be forced into selecting experienced players after Italy failed to secure qualification for the 2026 World Cup and faced a playoff encounter against Northern Ireland in March.
Italy have not competed at the iconic soccer tournament since 2014 and Gattuso’s position as manager will be on thin ice if the Azzurri are not on the plane to North America.
Emerson has expressed his desire to play for Italy in 2026 and his performances for Marseille could leave Gattuso with no choice.
Louis Fargher
Louis has been an avid soccer enthusiast for multiple years and boasts knowledge across several leagues in Europe - including Serie A. Louis holds a degree in Soccer Journalism and has produced content for multiple clubs in the United Kingdom.
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