The Athletic have revealed that the conversations which Emerson Royal had with Nuno Espirito Santo and Fabio Paratici were vital in convincing the player to join Tottenham Hotspur.
Spurs completed the signing of Emerson from Barcelona on transfer deadline day and later announced that they had reached an agreement to terminate Serge Aurier’s contract.
It has been a topsy-turvy couple of months for the Brazilian who arrived at Camp Nou earlier this summer after Barcelona exercised the buy-back clause which they had inserted when sending him to Real Betis in 2019.
Ronald Koeman’s side decided to make a profit by selling him to Spurs, with the two clubs agreeing a fee of £25.8m plus £4.3m in add-ons.
Some sources claimed on Tuesday that the right-back was keen to prove his worth at Barcelona and was disappointed by the club’s decision to sell him.
The Athletic have now shed more light on Emerson’s situation and the decision that he eventually made to move to North London.
The report explains that the Brazilian had grown up supporting Barcelona and was disappointed with the Catalan club’s decision to cash in on him.
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However, it is said that the player was ‘heartened’ by how much the Tottenham hierarchy and Nuno wanted him. It is suggested that Emerson was also left impressed by what he heard from Paratici.
The defender is also thought to have spoken to his compatriot, Lucas Moura, who reportedly had nothing but praise for the club.
Spurs Web Opinion
Emerson is coming off two excellent seasons for Betis and even though he is still quite raw, at just 22 years of age, he still has plenty of time to improve.
Paratici deserves credit for identifying the opportunity to swoop in due to Barca’s perilous financial situation and striking a sensible deal.
However, the Brazilian’s arrival is certainly not good news for Matt Doherty as it indicates that he is not considered to be up to the challenge of being first choice at right-back.
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