Tottenham Hotspur have joined the race to sign Barcelona right-back Emerson, but face competition from several European suitors.
The 22-year-old moved from his home country Brazil to Spain in 2019 thanks to a joint financial effort from Barcelona – which officially owns him – and Real Betis – which he has been on loan since.
The situation regarding Emerson’s ownership is complex because he is partly owned by the two clubs. The Catalan giants own 50% of their rights but have the opportunity to buy another 30% from Betis this summer.
According to the latest reports from Estadio Deportivo in Spain, Barça want cash to download the defender to collect transfer funds before the summer and that they have set a asking price of 21 million pounds.
Real Betis are said to want to keep the Brazilian but it would be “impossible” for them to sign him permanently given their current financial situation. It opens the door for Spurs, as well as PSG, Inter and Milan, who have all received an interest.
The right-back position has been a problem for Spurs this season. After signing Matt Doherty from Wolves last summer for around £ 15 million, it is fair to say that he has not lived up to his price tag and Serge Aurier has proven over the years to have a fault in himself.
Great challenge from Emerson, here | Quality Sport Images / Getty Images
Emerson may represent an upgrade on both of the aforementioned slopes, but with the North London club facing fierce competition from some of Europe’s biggest names, it may prove difficult to land the highly ranked La Liga star.
The former Atletico Mineiro man has talked about representing Barcelona in the future, but it seems that the club has other plans. The US international Sergino Dest has made the right-back position his own this season during an impressive debut campaign at Camp Nou and is at least two years younger than Emerson.
