Emerson Royal was being linked with a Tottenham exit in the January window but he has posted a defiant message on Instagram after helping his side beat Manchester City 1-0 – with Daniel Levy said to be open to the defender’s exit.
It comes after struggling in his first 18 months at Spurs. On a number of occasions, 24-year-old Royal has been booed by his own fans – most recently, during a 4-3 win over Leeds. Since the World Cup, it is fair to say his form has gone up.
The Brazil star was arguably his side’s best player in a 1-0 win over Fulham. Then, he scored against Manchester City in the 4-2 defeat – and impressed again on Sunday evening. Spurs have of course, brought in Pedro Porro from Sporting.
The ex-Barcelona defender was given the nod ahead of Porro – who is said to have been unwell in the build up to the 1-0 win. Harry Kane got the only goal of the game. A goal that saw him become Tottenham’s all-time top goalscorer.
Inter Live reported in January that Royal was being considered as a possible exit in January – for a fee of £22million. Levy was open to his sale. But, Royal has hit back at critics, with a message on Instagram after the win over City.
Royal posts defiant Tottenham message after being linked with exit
In January, Spurs did wave goodbye to two of their three right-sided defenders before Porro was announced. Djed Spence, hardly favoured by Antonio Conte, has joined Rennes on loan. He made his debut on Saturday, in a 3-1 loss.
Meanwhile, Matt Doherty has joined Atletico Madrid. The move came as a surprise, seeing his contract terminated by Spurs. Allowed to join Diego Simeone’s side on a free – until the end of the season. So, Royal has stayed at Spurs.
Now, Porro is expected to become the club’s first-choice right-back. But, with Royal in form and impressing against City after a couple of much-improved outings, it might be that keeping Royal was the right decision. The fight is there.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
