Arsenal target Emerson Royal looks to be on his way to Tottenham Hotspur after the two clubs came closer to agreeing on a fee.
There are further reports that Barcelona want to replace the Brazilian with Hector Bellerin and they have expressed interest in the Spaniard.
This bodes a great opportunity for the Gunners to snatch Emerson from their north London rivals, as they can use Bellerin as a pawn to do so.
There is a clear imbalance within the right full-back position at the club, and it is an area that is overloaded with a lack of quality.
football.london first revealed back in May that the Gunners wanted to sign a right-back this summer but only if they could offload one of the full-backs from the squad.
So if Tottenham sign Emerson Royal – a player that Arsenal are reportedly interested in earlier, it would be a real kick in the teeth considering the current league positions of the two clubs.
Options to sign a right-back are limited, and with less than 48 hours left, the north London club will struggle to find a full-back with the same credentials and pricing as Emerson with him expected to cost no more than £25 million.
Using Bellerin as a negotiating pawn is crucial in this situation as the Spaniard is a La Masia graduate and a move back to Barcelona has always seemed inevitable.
Due to the La Liga club’s financial issues, a swap deal with Emerson Royal will be the most suitable option for both sides.
The Brazilian signed for Barcelona in 2019 but has yet to make a single appearance for them as a three-way agreement with Atlético Mineiro and Real Betis saw the 22-year-old go on loan to the latter for two seasons.
Last season, he was the most used player by Manuel Pellegrini (3,186 minutes in La Liga), also scoring five goals for Betis and providing ten assists.
Mikel Arteta has blocked Ainsley Maitland-Niles’ loan move to Everton as he wants to keep him in his plans, which could suggest that Bellerin is on his way out.
If this is the case and Spurs still announce the signing of Emerson Royal, whilst Arsenal fail to bring in a right-back, there will be huge discontent amongst the fan base about the dealings carried out by the club in this transfer window.
However, Arsenal could get their own revenge on Tottenham by signing Houssem Aouar.
Arsenal and Tottenham are both interested in signing the French international in a deal which could be completed on deadline day, reported Fabrizio Romano on the “Don Robbie” podcast.
Arsenal are yet to make a bid for the Lyon midfielder, but despite the signing of Odegaard, they remain very interested in the 23-year-old according to Romano.
Beating Tottenham to this signing will give fans a sense of optimism after the disastrous start to the season and if the club were to lose out on Emerson Royal, this would certainly give fans something of a consolation.
