Journalist Tom Barclay has shared what Ange Postecoglou really thinks about Emerson Royal as he expressed his disbelief at Tottenham Hotspur rejecting a £25 million bid for the defender back in the January transfer window.
Emerson Royal has come in for a fair amount of criticism of late, with the Brazilian filling in at left-back for the last couple of games due to injury to the likes of Destiny Udogie and Ben Davies.
Unfortunately for Tottenham, Emerson’s limitations as a left-back have been exposed, with Spurs conceding six goals in the last two games.
Emerson had a nightmare against Liverpool at the weekend, and given that he has scored just four goals and provided two assists in 100 games for Tottenham in all competitions, there is definitely a debate to be had about whether his long-term future lies in North London.
Ange Postecoglou loves Emerson Royal
He does not offer the attacking quality which Pedro Porro and Udogie provide, and he is not particularly versatile judging by his recent displays.
Speaking to The Tottenham Way however, Tom Barclay suggested that Ange Postecoglou is a real admirer of the 25-year-old.
“Spurs rejected a lot of money from a Saudi club back in January, all I know is they turned down £25 million for him, and you just wonder why really,” he said.
“I know Postecoglou loves him as a trainer and as a character and he has played in different positions, and he hasn’t been all bad by any stretch apart from the last couple of games, but you don’t really see how he fits with Postecoglou’s playing philosophy going forward.”
Tottenham would be silly to reject similar money for defender this summer
It will be very interesting to see if a Saudi club returns with a similar offer this summer – and whether Tottenham decide to issue a different response.
Postecoglou may be reluctant to make wholesale changes in every area, but Emerson is arguably one player who does not appear to thrive in a system like the Australian’s.
Getting £25 million for him would arguably be a very decent bit of business from Tottenham this summer. If they are looking to bolster their transfer kitty with player sales, cashing in on Emerson seems to be something of a no-brainer.