Tottenham Hotspur are set to offload Brazilian full-back Emerson Royal to AC Milan, bringing an end to his shaky three-year spell in north London.
According to Fabrizio Romano, both clubs have agreed a deal worth around £12.8 million for the former Barcelona man, who has struggled to establish himself in Ange Postecoglou’s side.
Emerson had agreed personal terms with Milan as early as May, so the move to the San Siro Stadium has been on the cards for some time.
However, both clubs have been haggling over a transfer fee for months, with Milan reluctant to match Tottenham’s lofty demands.
The north Londoners were hoping a club from Saudi Arabia would enter the fray, but despite interest from elsewhere, Emerson was adamant about a move to Italy.
Emerson joined Tottenham from Barca in 2020 for a fee of around £25.8m. He enjoyed his football under Antonio Conte but has since found opportunities limited.
With the club looking to rebuild under Postecoglou, the Brazilian has been deemed surplus to requirements.
Emerson started just 11 Premier League matches last season and made only 24 appearances across all competitions. With an exit now agreed, he is expected to fly to Italy to finalise his move away from Spurs.
Possible replacements?
Summer signing Archie Gray, who joined the club in a £40m deal from Leeds United, is also capable of playing at right-back, so he’d soften the blow of losing Emerson this summer.
However, the club has also been linked with a number of right-backs as potential replacements, including Fiorentina youngster Michael Kayode and Vanderson from AS Monaco.
It remains to be seen if the club will intensify their pursuit of either player, but they are currently focusing on strengthening other areas of the squad.
Spurs are finalising a deal to sign Bournemouth striker Dominic Solanke. The Englishman had an impressive 2023/24 campaign, scoring 19 Premier League goals.
Stats from Transfermarkt.com