Aston Villa’s interest in Emerson Royal has prompted plenty of discussion in Brazil over the past week. Now, the former Tottenham defender has addressed the speculation himself.
The 27-year-old has been at the centre of an on-off transfer saga after Aston Villa made an approach worth up to €10m (£8.6m), only for Flamengo to decide against completing the deal.
Speaking after Flamengo’s friendly win over Lausanne-Sport on Wednesday, Emerson Royal was asked about the Premier League club’s interest. His comments were relayed by Itatiaia Esporte.
Rather than ruling out a move or pushing for one, the right-back struck a measured tone.
“As I always say, until anything is decided, my focus is always on Flamengo,” he said.
“I’m very happy to receive this proposal because it shows my work is being recognised. My focus is on Flamengo, but I don’t know what the future holds.”
Transfer story remains open
Recent reports in Brazil suggested Aston Villa increased their offer to around €10m (£8.6m). However, Flamengo ultimately decided against selling Emerson Royal for now.
As we covered recently, the decision was driven largely by manager Leonardo Jardim. He wants to preserve the core of his squad rather than lose experienced first-team players during the current window.
The Portuguese coach is also said to value Emerson Royal’s role behind Guillermo Varela. In particular, this is important given the need to rotate at right-back over a long season.
Door not closed
Aston Villa target Emerson Royal
Aston Villa target Emerson Royal
Emerson Royal’s comments suggest he is taking a similar approach. The defender made it clear he remains committed to Flamengo while also acknowledging that his future has not yet been settled.
That leaves the door open if Aston Villa decide to revisit the deal later in the window.
For now, though, Emerson Royal’s message is straightforward: his focus remains on Flamengo, even if he cannot say with certainty where he will be playing when the transfer window closes.