Why Newcastle United should reignite their interest in Emerson Royal
Back in April, Spanish outlet Sport (h/t Daily Star) claimed that Newcastle United had made contact with Barcelona over a potential deal for Brazilian right-back Emerson Royal. It was reported that the Catalan giants were willing to cash in on the youngster as they didn’t consider him good enough to play regularly in their first-team.
However, a move to Tyneside didn’t quite materialise for the 21-year-old, who continued to shine at his loan club Real Betis in the La Liga.
Profile
Emerson Royal represented Palmeiras, Sao Paulo and Gremio at the youth level before joining Ponte Preta’s academy in 2015. He made his professional debut in the Brazilian top-flight during the 2017 campaign and was eventually transferred to Atletico Mineiro in 2018.
The right-back made 23 appearances for Mineiro before moving to Spain as a part of a co-ownership deal between Barcelona and Real Betis in January 2019. Both clubs paid £5.25million for his services and Emerson has since plied his trade on loan at Betis. As a part of the agreement, Barcelona have the option to sign him permanently for an additional £5.25m in 2021.
The 21-year-old only made 7 appearances for Betis during the latter half of the 2018-19 season before establishing himself as a key player at the Spanish club in the following campaign. Emerson registered 3 goals and 6 assists in 33 La Liga outings for Betis last term. He has started 5 out of the club’s 8 opening fixtures so far this season.
Emerson has represented Brazil at U-20 and U-23 levels, winning the 2019 Toulon Tournament with the latter. The right-back’s impressive rise in Spain earned him a senior international debut in a friendly against South Korea last year.
Emerson would add more quality to Newcastle’s backline
The acquisition of Jamal Lewis from Norwich City in the summer has certainly added some much-needed quality to Newcastle’s left-back department. But there are still a few pressing concerns on the other side of the defence, despite the likes of Javier Manquillo, Emil Krafth, and DeAndre Yedlin all competing for places in the ranks.
Yedlin has been restricted to a bit-part role so far this season after struggling for form and fitness over the past few years.
Steve Bruce has rotated Krafth and Manquillo on the right but neither has been successful in delivering the goods consistently. That has forced the manager to utilise Jacob Murphy in an unfamiliar right-back role. While he has done a decent job of late, it goes without saying that Newcastle are in dire need of some upgrades in that department.
Newcastle making a renewed attempt to sign Emerson Royal in January would go a long way towards helping the Magpies overcome their right-back conundrum. The Brazilian international has progressed by leaps and bounds since moving to Europe last year and ticks the box as a talented young player with loads of potential.
Emerson is already a regular starter for a top-ten club in the La Liga while his impressive goal contribution last season lies testament to his reputation as an attacking full-back. It is a no-brainer that he would represent a significant upgrade on underachievers like Yedlin, Manquillo, and Krafth at Tyneside.
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Verdict
Emerson looks ready to make the transition to the Premier League after making significant strides in his development in Spain. He still has his best years ahead of him at 21 and would inject some much-needed youthful exuberance to a rather stagnant-looking Newcastle backline.
