Barcelona right-back Emerson Royal has suggested to Sport that he does not want to join Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal in the summer transfer window.
Emerson Royal rumour
The Athletic reported this week that Emerson could be included in a swap deal with Barcelona involving Hector Bellerin.
Bellerin wants to leave Arsenal this summer, and one solution is to send the Spanish right-back to Barcelona.
In exchange, Brazil international Emerson, 22, would move to the Emirates Stadium.
That’s the idea anyway.
We covered the report here on HITC Sport.
What does Emerson Royal want?
In an extensive interview with Sport, Emerson has said that he is happy at Barcelona, suggesting that he is not keen on a move to Arsenal.
The 22-year-old told Sport: “Whenever I was asked about my future, I told the truth. I respected Betis and I worked to help the club, but I couldn’t lie [about my ambitions].
“I’ve always wanted to play for Barça, it was my main goal. Other teams showed an interest when my contract was up, but I didn’t want to hear about them. I was sure that I wanted to be here, and I’m very happy that I’ve achieved my goal.”
No Arsenal transfer this summer?
When the transfer window is open, you should always expect the unexpected.
However, it does appear very unlikely that Emerson will leave Barcelona for Arsenal.
The Spanish giants exercised their option to bring the 22-year-old right-back from Real Betis only this summer.
It is unlikely that Barcelona will look to move on the Brazil international now, and, as you can see from his quotes above, the player himself is very happy at Camp Nou.
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