Aston Villa are making significant progress in their pursuit of Emerson Royal from Flamengo, according to Brazilian journalist Venê Casagrande. The Premier League club have submitted an initial offer of €9 million and are prepared to increase that bid to €10 million to secure the right-back's signature.
Advanced Talks and Return to Premier League
Sport Witness, citing Brazilian newspaper O Dia, reports that negotiations are now at an advanced stage. A transfer would bring the 27-year-old back to the Premier League two years after he left Tottenham Hotspur. Emerson Royal spent one season at AC Milan before joining Flamengo on a three-year contract last summer, amid speculation linking Aston Villa manager Unai Emery with an interest in the defender.
Casagrande's Insights on the Deal
Casagrande stated: “Flamengo is negotiating the sale of Emerson Royal to Aston Villa. The first offer was €9m but then Aston Villa understood that they could increase the offer; they informed the player’s agents they would agree to a deal involving €10m.” He added that while this offer is still less than what Flamengo paid for the full-back, the club would be willing to recover part of the money sent to AC Milan.
Emerson Royal's Performance at Flamengo
Casagrande also provided a critical assessment of Emerson Royal's time at Flamengo: “Emerson Royal was signed to be an undisputed starter but he arrived here and hasn’t been able to perform well. On the contrary, he has 40 games with Flamengo; I guess he has only had ten good games and I am being generous.”
Emerson Royal's Career Path
Emerson Royal began his career at Atletico Mineiro before moving to Barcelona in 2019. He joined Tottenham Hotspur in 2021, making 101 appearances for the club. After a loan spell at AC Milan, he moved to Flamengo in 2024.
Aston Villa's Right-Back Search
Aston Villa have been seeking a challenger to first-choice right-back Matty Cash for several seasons. Both Andres Garcia and Kosta Nedeljkovic have been unable to establish themselves as serious contenders for the position, making the pursuit of Emerson Royal a strategic move to strengthen the squad depth.
