Tottenham Hotspur is closing in on a deal to sign Barcelona right-back Emerson before the deadline tonight. The 22-year-old was part-owned by Barcelona and Real Betis and made his move to the Catalan giants in June.
Just two months after signing with Barca, Emerson is on the move again as Spurs are set to sign him for a fee of £25 million, with the player undergoing his medical according to Sky Sports. North London rivals Arsenal was also reportedly interested in signing the Brazilian international but the player preferred Nuno Espirito Santo’s side.
Emerson made his senior debut for his national side in 2019 and has so far played four times for Brazil. In two-and-a-half seasons for Betis, he scored five times and assisted 10 times in 79 appearances for the Spanish club.
Emerson: A Solid Addition For Spurs?
Spurs boss Nuno Espirito Santo seems to not have an interest in playing the club’s senior right-backs, Serge Aurier and Matt Doherty. Neither player has started any of the opening three Premier League games as Japhet Tanganga has started at right-back in all three fixtures. Spurs are reportedly looking to offload both Aurier and Doherty and are hence in the final stages of signing Emerson.
Emerson could be a good fit in the Spurs backline, who is an all-round player capable of contributing in all phases of the game. The Brazilian is a hard-working full-back who likes to bomb up and down the flank thanks to his strong dribbling. Emerson likes to take on players with his quick feet and burst of acceleration, while his strength allows him to shrug off defenders.
He is a steady figure in defence too, where his strength once again comes into play. Emerson averaged 2.7 tackles per game in La Liga last season for Betis, while also making 1.8 interceptions. The full-back is also strong in the air, winning 1.8 aerial balls per game last season.
The 22-year-old has played a lot of football for a player of his age and has grown in stature, which earned him a call-up to the Brazilian senior team. Spurs have looked solid defensively in the opening three games of the season, but tougher tests lie ahead of them. Emerson will feature heavily in the manager’s plans as even though Tanganga has done well at right-back when called upon, his future lies in the central position.
Emerson has the strength, speed, anticipation, and work-rate to be a good signing for Spurs.
But it will be interesting to see whether the Lilywhites can offload one or both of their last season’s first-choice fullbacks.