Atletico Madrid are working on a proposal to bring Emerson Royal to the club on a loan with an option to buy, according to Spanish news outlet AS.
The report claims that Atletico believe that Royal would be a good fit for his side given his previous La Liga experience but highlight that a loan to buy move would be a difficult deal to convince Tottenham to agree to.
Despite showing glimpses of his qualities during his first season at Spurs, particularly towards the end of the campaign, Emerson has not managed to deliver the expected output in the final third for a wing-back in Antonio Conte’s system.
Tottenham are reportedly confident of signing Djed Spence from Middlesbrough this summer (Football Insider), with the 21-year-old set to battle Matt Doherty for a place in the starting eleven next season (Football.London’s Alasdair Gold).
Spurs are likely expected to cash in on Emerson, just a year after bringing him to north London Barcelona (The Times).
Sky Sports News reported earlier this week that Atletico Madrid could make a move for the Brazilian, with the Los Colchoneros said to hold a long-term interest in the former Real Betis man.
This has now been backed up by AS, who claim that Diego Simeone’s side are prioritising signing a right-back this summer to finally fill the void left by former Spur, Kieran Tripper with Emerson being one of the names on their wishlist.
Spurs Web Opinion
Emerson might not be the right fit for Antonio Conte’s system but his value certainly has not depreciated over the last 12 months. The 23-year-old has demonstrated that he has the defensive qualities and the engine to be a decent right-back in a back four. So, there is no reason for Spurs to sell him for a cut-price fee.
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