Tottenham Hotspur defender Emerson Royal’s agent has suggested that the Brazilian is likely to leave the club this summer and could move to Real Madrid. Although Arsenal and Spurs were both believed to have been interested in the player in the summer of 2021, Tottenham won the race to bring him to North London from Barcelona for a fee of £22.1m. However, since then, Emerson has been the subject of criticism from both his own supporters and rival fans after making several error-strewn performances.
Emerson’s form briefly improved after the turn of the year, but he has since been relegated to second choice behind Pedro Porro. His current injury has prevented him from playing for Spurs in the final few games of the season. Emerson’s father and representative, Emerson Zulu, has recently spoken about his son’s desire to leave for a team competing for trophies, and suggested that Real Madrid could be a possible destination for him.
Although there has been no indication that Real Madrid are interested in the player, the right-back position could soon become a concern for them as Dani Carvajal will turn 32 next year and is out of contract in 2025. Meanwhile, Lucas Vazquez and Alvaro Odriozola could both leave as free agents at the end of next season, leaving the possibility open for Real Madrid to sign a new right-back.
Emerson impressed for Real Betis during a two-year stint, leading Tottenham to take a chance on him. He has since recorded three goals and two assists from 73 games for Spurs in all competitions, with two goals and one assist from 32 matches in the current campaign. His contract with Tottenham runs for another three years, meaning that Spurs would be in a strong position to recoup the £22.1m they paid for his services two years ago.
Before Porro’s arrival, Emerson was Spurs’ first-choice right-wing back, ahead of Matt Doherty and Djed Spence, who was later loaned out to Ligue 1 side Rennes after a disastrous debut campaign with Spurs. Should Spence make a name for himself at Spurs next season, the door could be open for Emerson to depart.
Tottenham’s recent 6-1 defeat by Newcastle United has led to speculation that the club may be considering sacking interim head coach Cristian Stellini, who only took over from Antonio Conte a few weeks ago.