‘I NEVER talked to him about it’: Tottenham defender Emerson Royal downplays claims by his father that he is ‘better suited to Real Madrid’ as the Brazilian right-back insists he is ‘happy’ in North London
- The father and agent of Emerson Royal claimed his son is better suited at Real Madrid
- Royal has now downplayed suggestions he is looking to transfer from Spurs
- The defender is currently sidelined with a knee injury sustained while playing for Brazil
Tottenham defender Emerson Royal has responded to claims by his father that he would be ‘better suited’ at a club like Real Madrid.
Royal has struggled to hold down a regular starting place at Spurs since signing for £25.8 million from Barcelona in 2021, and is currently sidelined with a knee injury sustained during his international duty with Brazil.
The Brazilian has suffered from inconsistent showings and the club signed Pedro Porro from Sporting Lisbon for £40 million in January to add to doubt over his future.
That led to the The 24-year-old’s father claimed he was likely to leave the club and join a new team in the summer – he spoke of Real Madrid as a possible destination.
But Royal has hit back and reiterated he is happy at Spurs, saying he and his father have never discussed an exit or move to Real Madrid.
Emerson Royal has downplayed his father’s claims he is about to leave Tottenham
Royal said: “While he is entitled to his own opinion, I have never spoken to him about it and have always made it clear that I am happy at Tottenham.
“As a professional athlete, I am proud to represent the team that believed in me and gave me the opportunity to show my skills.”
His father Emerson Zulu had discussed the possibility of his son leaving North London, insisting he deserved to challenge for titles and suggested Real Madrid as a club that would suit him.
Speak on the charla podcast, Zulu, who also acts as the player’s agent, said: “There is a strong chance that Emerson will leave Tottenham.
Emerson Zulu thinks his son would be better suited to a club like Real Madrid than Spurs
Royal’s last game came under Antonio Conte and missed Cristian Stellini’s entire reign until a knee injury
“We believe it’s time for him to take a bigger leap and move to a team fighting for titles. I think he suits a giant like Real Madrid.’
Royal made 73 appearances for Spurs since leaving LaLiga, scoring 3 goals, but failed to convince supporters as a viable long-term option.
He last played for the club in Antonio Conte’s final game as boss, the 3-3 draw with Southampton last month, and has since missed Cristian Stellini’s entire reign as interim manager through injury.
Stellini was relieved of his post following Tottenham’s humiliating 6-1 defeat to Newcastle on Sunday, with Ryan Mason taking charge of the first team for the rest of the season.