One man’s misery, as they say, is another’s fortune. And while a summer exit was already on the cards for the Tottenham Hotspur benchwarmer, news of that ACL blow certainly sped things up.
It was confirmed at the start of August that Alessandro Florenzi’s campaign was potentially over before it had even begun.
The veteran full-back ruptured his Anterior Cruciate Ligament in pre-season. As such, Florenzi will not return to the pitch until the start of 2024 at the very earliest.
No wonder AC Milan slammed their foot down onto the accelerator, then, before throwing open the passenger door and telling Emerson Royal to get in.
To the tune of around £13 million, per TNT Sports, former Tottenham Hotspur right-back Emerson becomes the latest Premier League misfit to attempt to revive his career at the San Siro.
If he can emulate the success of former Chelsea duo Christian Pulisic and Ruben Loftus-Cheek, then this will be £13 million very well spent. Pulisic and Loftus-Cheek were stand-out performers last term.
Emerson Royal leaves Tottenham for AC Milan
Emerson said back in June that he was keen to seize such an opportunity having spent the last 18 months watching on from the sidelines as Pedro Porro nailed down the starting spot.
And Milan’s senior adviser – a certain Zlatan Ibrahimovic – admits that Emerson’s desire to make the switch happen was a key factor in his eventual arrival.
“I’m sorry that Florenzi got hurt. But, with Emerson, we have an extra reinforcement for the team. Emerson was very keen to come,” the legendary centre-forward tells Tuttomercatoweb.
“I want to welcome Emerson Royal. We have been following him for a long time but we brought him at the right time.
“Physical, offensive and defensive player; he plays with a lot of intensity and a lot of grit. With Emerson, we become even stronger. He was one of the objectives we set ourselves from the beginning of the transfer market and finally today he is here.
“We are happy.”
Filippo Galli – another Rossoneri icon – said earlier in the summer that Emerson was the ideal addition for Paulo Fonsenca’s Milan squad. What he lacks in technical ability, the former Barcelona and Real Betis man will hope to make up for with enthusiasm, energy and aggression.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic delighted with Spurs swoop
Emerson is certainly better defensively than he is at the other end of the pitch – the polar opposite to Porro in that sense – and Ibrahimovic admits that this was a key reason why Milan opted to bring the Brazilian in.
Despite finishing second, Milan conceded 49 goals in 2023/24. The worst record in the entirety of Serie A’s top half.
“What we want to build is a compact team,” adds Ibrahimovic, who was also key to the £17 million arrival of Strahinja Pavlovic from Red Bull Salzburg. “Offensively, we are compact and strong.
“(Now we also have the) defensive part with Emerson, Pavlovic. “Then, we’ll see. Maybe there is room for something extra. We are working on it.
“The choice of Emerson was simple. He was the right profile. A balance between attack and defence. If you look at Fonseca and the identity (he wants), a profile like Emerson is perfect.
“If I have to choose, in my world, I like (my full-backs to be) more offensive. But the important thing is that he can do both phases.”
Another former Tottenham man had his own presentation early this week too; Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg unveiled as a Marseille player for the first time.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
