Report: Atletico, Juventus targeting Emerson Royal for summer transfer

There’s some distressing transfer news this morning that could potentially upset a portion of you reading this article this morning, and I’m sorry for any harm that could be caused by this. According to Italian journalist Rudy Galetti, both Atletico Madrid and Juventus have identified Tottenham Hotspur fullback/wingback Emerson Royal as a prime transfer target for this summer’s window as they look to refresh their squad.

EDIT (11/10/22 10:10 a.m.) – It was pointed out to me on social media and elsewhere that this tweet is from this past summer. That’s correct, and I totally missed it! However, the tweet was embedded in this article on Galetti’s website posted today where it gives a bit more updated info by saying that Emerson is now Juventus’ prime transfer target for the right back position for this coming summer 2023 window.

Context is important (and I totally missed the tweet date) so mea culpa. That doesn’t make this rumor any less dubious, but I thought I should at least mention it.

OK, so my tongue is firmly in my cheek for this one obviously, and perhaps that’s a bit mean. But a summer transfer for Emerson would make good sense for Spurs, assuming that they can find a buyer for a good price. We have talked on this website ad nauseum about Emerson’s strengths (yes, he has some) as well as weaknesses in Antonio Conte’s tactical system. His performances has been, if I’m being charitable, uneven since his arrival and he’s clearly not an ideal fit for what Conte wants out of a wingback.

But at age 23, he’s still a talented player who could thrive in a different system in a role that doesn’t emphasize as much on the offensive side of the ball. I’ve said it before and will say it again — he’s a square peg in a hexagonal hole, and while the scapegoating by supporters has been somewhat over the top there’s a good young player in there.

I have no idea how reliable this rumor is — the downside of having an Italian manager and Director of Football is that you’re somewhat forced to pay attention to everything that comes out of the Italian football media ecosystem. But we know Conte is (again) targeting a right wingback in the January window, and considering how many players we already have in that position, something’s got to give. Emerson might actually be Spurs’ most saleable asset at right wing back right now, and it’s a position that’s still ripe for an upgrade.

The reliability might be unknown regarding this rumor, but the vibes? Oh, the vibes are off the charts.