Emerson Royal of REAL BETIS is a frontrunner to replace Hector Bellerin at Arsenal this summer. If Bellerin leaves for Barcelona or PSG, Brazil’s Emerson could occupy one of Mikel Arteta’s problem roles.
According to the Spanish newspaper Mundo, the Gunners have been ‘closely tracking’ Emerson, 22. Arsenal has also been linked with Guido Rodriguez, an Argentina midfielder with a £68 million release clause.
However, Emerson’s condition is complicated by the peculiar terms of his February 2019 transfer from Atletico Mineiro to Spanish team Betis.
In a joint agreement, Betis and Barcelona agreed to invest €6 million (approximately £5.1 million) each. That means Emerson is expected to join Barcelona this summer when they can pay their share plus an additional £2.5 million. And new Barcelona president Joan Laporta is said to be ready to complete the transition.
Arsenal is said to be interested in Inter Milan’s Achraf Hakimi and Brighton defender Tariq Lamptey as Emerson replacements.
Arteta has described right-back as a vulnerability, according to Arsenal legend Nigel Winterburn.
Left-back who won the championship “If you look at the swapping of players in that position, you can see that Arteta isn’t happy with who he has, so I expect that to be resolved in the summer,” Winterburn told GentingBet.
