Arsenal are reportedly among a number of clubs that are keen on signing Emerson Royal, who is also a target for local rivals Tottenham Hotspur.
According to a report by Spanish publication Mundo Deportivo, Emerson Royal is the subject of interest from Arsenal over a move in the summer transfer window. The 22-year-old Brazilian is also being courted by Tottenham Hotspur, apart from Villarreal, Bayern Munich, PSG and AC Milan.
Emerson arrived in Spain in 2019 as part of an odd deal that saw Real Betis initially secure the services of the Brazilian full-back, but were sharing his ownership with Barcelona. This operation would see both the parties pay €6 million each for his services, with Los Verdiblancos keeping him “on loan” till this coming summer before Barcelona get a chance to sign him permanently.
That clause comes into effect this summer but up until now, Emerson has turned out 76 times for Real Betis, chipping in with 5 goals and 10 assists as well. His progress over the last couple of years with the Andalusian outfit has duly been noticed by some of the biggest clubs in Europe, two of those being Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur.
Arsenal are set to be in desperate need to sign a right-back this summer, with Hector Bellerin facing an uncertain future at the Emirates. Should the Spaniard leave, Mikel Arteta would be in need of a right-back, lest he risks falling into a situation like for the left-back slot, where Kieran Tierney is the only natural option.
Besides, Cedric Soares has only proven himself to be a backup worthy option, although Calum Chambers has stepped up recently. Nevertheless, the interest in Emerson makes sense for Arsenal. As for Tottenham Hotspur, they are sort of in a similar boat at Arsenal heading into the summer transfer window.
Serge Aurier could be on his way out of the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium this summer, with the Ivorian being linked with a shock switch to Real Madrid. Aurier’s potential departure will leave Spurs with Matt Doherty as the only out-and-out right-back in the first-team setup, making Emerson a viable target.
Arsenal and Tottenham, though, are not the only clubs after the 22-year-old, who is also attracting interest from the likes of Villarreal, PSG, AC Milan and Bayern Munich. The complicated nature of his stay in Spain, though, should surely make matters intriguing and it will be interesting to see if he does end up joining another club, or if he makes his way to Barcelona.