Atletico Madrid are eyeing a summer swoop for Tottenham Hotspur full-back Emerson Royal, having already contacted the player.
According to a report from MARCA, Emerson Royal could be on the move again, with Atletico Madrid emerging as a potential destination for the Tottenham Hotspur star. The full-back made headlines in the summer when he joined Barcelona but was sold to the Premier League giants in the same window.
It appears Emerson could be set for a return to Spain in the summer as he has been in contact with Atletico Madrid. The Brazilian has been identified as a potential target for Diego Simeone, who is eyeing a new right-back despite signing Daniel Wass in the January transfer window.
Atletico’s interest in Emerson stems from the Brazilian’s vast knowledge of the Spanish league. He notably enjoyed immense success at Real Betis and was even regarded as one of the best right-backs in La Liga for a time before he eventually arrived at Camp Nou last summer.
But he was quickly sold to Tottenham by the Catalan outfit. However, things have not exactly panned out the way he would have hoped in London. After enjoying a promising start to his Premier League career, the right-back has failed to establish himself as a first-team regular, forcing Antonio Conte to consider other alternatives, including Matt Doherty.
Atletico Madrid are prepared to make use of this situation to bag the services of Emerson in a cut-price deal next summer. As mentioned earlier, Los Colchoneros are on the hunt for a new right-back after losing Kieran Trippier to Newcastle United in January.
Trippier’s departure has left a massive void in the club’s creative department. While Atleti did bring in Wass in January, he has not been able to offer that useful width going forward, thus compelling Simeone to consider other options in the market. And Emerson, to that end, could be a wise choice given his previous success in La Liga.
Atletico Madrid are not the only club interested in Emerson, though, as the defender is also a target for reigning Italian champions Inter Milan. The Nerazzurri are likely attempting to add more variety in the right-back department, with Emerson appearing to be an ideal alternative to summer signing Denzel Dumfries. Like Atletico, Inter Milan have also made contact with the Brazilian’s camp.
Tottenham, for their part, might be willing to part ways with the Brazilian if they recoup the amount they spent on him in the summer. It could give Conte the valuable financial boost needed to land some of his desired targets in the market next summer.
