Soccer Football - Premier League - Tottenham Hotspur v Southampton - Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, London, Britain - August 6, 2022 Tottenham Hotspur's Emerson Royal and Ivan Perisic celebrate after the match Action Images via Reuters/Matthew Childs EDITORIAL USE ONLY. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or 'live' services. Online in-match use limited to 75 images, no video emulation. No use in betting, games or single club /league/player publications. Please contact your account representative for further details.
Agent Hayden Dodge has made an interesting behind-the-scenes claim involving Tottenham Hotspur manager Antonio Conte and defender Emerson Royal.
The Lowdown: Conte assessing squad?
Ahead of the looming January transfer window, it’s safe to assume that Conte will be fully assessing his Spurs squad and analysing exactly which areas can be improved upon.
The right-wing-back position is a crucial cog in the Lilywhites manager’s back-three system, and links have emerged to possible new full-back additions recently.
Conte reportedly holds a serious interest in bringing Inter Milan defender Denzel Dumfries to the Premier League, for example, with agent Dodge now sharing exactly why the 53-year-old apparently wants an upgrade in that position.
The Latest: Conte ‘doesn’t want’ Emerson at Spurs…
The representative has claimed that Tottenham’s manager is not the biggest fan of Emerson, despite his appearance record to the contrary.
The 23-year-old has started more matches and played more league minutes than any of Conte’s other wing-back options, although the Italian’s transfer stance is apparently crystal clear.
Speaking to CaughtOffside, Dodge claims that Emerson is ‘another player Conte doesn’t want’, alongside summer signing Djed Spence.
He explained: “The club made the decision to sign him [Spence] in the summer, but the manager wasn’t 100 per cent sold on the idea, but a number of Premier League clubs are interested in him again now so it isn’t like he doesn’t have options.
“Another player Conte doesn’t want is Emerson Royal but Spurs know no one is interested so in a way, they’re stuck with him, which is why Matt Doherty is beginning to get a lot more game time.”
The Verdict: Stick or twist?
The Brazilian can be hugely combative on his day, having averaged 2.1 tackles per 90 in the top flight, the third-highest of any Spurs player.
However, his attacking output is largely questionable, with Emerson only providing one assist so far despite putting in the fourth-highest number of crosses per match in Conte’s side (WhoScored).
It’s clear that Emerson can have his uses defensively but, if Spurs want a greater threat down the right-hand side, signing a replacement could be the best option and the South American could play more of a bit-part role.
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