Opinion: Emerson Royal – The solution to Tottenham’s right-back problem

Brazilian defender, Emerson Royal is the subject of interest of a lot of teams around Europe, including Tottenham according to Estadio Deportivo.

Estadio Deportivo explain that he was signed in a joint deal by Barcelona and Real Betis, with Barcelona reportedly owning 50% of the player.

Now, after three successful seasons at the Estadio Benito Villamarín, Barcelona are ready to cash in on the player following the arrival of Sergiño Dest.

The other clubs interested in the 22-year-old include PSG, Inter Milan, and Bayer Leverkusen among others. If Tottenham can convince him to join, he could be a seriously good signing for the club, and I will now explain why.

The most important thing for a right-back is to be solid defensively, Emerson is exactly that. He is dominant in the air with a 6ft frame (183cm), winning 1.7 aerial duels per 90 and making 2.9 tackles per 90 in La Liga this season (whoscored).

Meanwhile, he has also kept a respectable eight clean sheets in La Liga this season (Transfermarkt), as Betis make a bid for European football.

Nonetheless, an important part of the job for a modern-day full-back is the attacking responsibilities, Emerson has done more than his fair share during his time at Betis, scoring three goals and grabbing six assists in 2019/20 (Transfermarkt).

Clearly, Emerson shows a lot of tenacity going forward and getting back, making him a very reliable player.

Perhaps Emerson’s only downfall is that he gives away a lot of fouls, conceding 1.7 per 90 in La Liga this season, also conceding 1 penalty (whoscored).

This could be put down to clumsiness and relative inexperience given the fact that he is still quite a young player. However, under the guidance of great coaching staff and mentors, he could become an incredible player, of that I am confident.

Whether Tottenham will make a move for the Brazilian is still unknown, especially now that José Mourinho, whom reportedly requested that Tottenham sign the player (Mundo Deportivo), is no longer at the club.

The club’s transfer strategy this summer could change drastically, so my advice is don’t hold your breath.

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