Mikel Arteta pulled the plug on any potential Emerson Royal deal for Arsenal this summer after being unconvinced as to whether he would fit the squad’s profile, according to The Athletic.
The Gunners were in the market for a defensive signing throughout the transfer window and reportedly targeted the 22-year-old Brazilian as a last-minute acquisition.
However, Arteta’s side decided against the move as he and his staff were concerned the now-Tottenham man would not fit their system, and subsequently moved onto former Spurs target Takehiro Tomiyasu instead.
That decision would leave the door open for Spurs, who ended up signing Emerson on deadline day from Barcelona, in a five-year deal worth a reported £25.7 million.
The right-back has already made his Spurs debut but not in the way he would have hoped, starting in the 3-0 defeat to Crystal Palace.
He showed some signs of attacking promise and defensive grit against Wilfried Zaha, but it wasn’t enough as Nuno Espirito Santo’s side suffered their first Premier League defeat of the season.
Spurs Web Opinion
Time will tell whether Spurs or Arsenal made the correct decision regarding Emerson and Tomiyasu, as these were both two targets both clubs were interested in over the summer. Spurs needed a dedicated right-back like Emerson, though, especially after the planned departure of Serge Aurier.
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