Tottenham are close to finalising a €30m deal for Barcelona full-back Emerson Royal.
The 22-year-old returned to Camp Nou this summer after two years at Real Betis, after Barça triggered a €9m buy-back clause included in their initial 2019 agreement.
But Emerson's return to Barcelona is merely a vehicle to help the club try to escape the crippling debt they find themselves in - debt that has already cost the club the services of Lionel Messi because they could no longer afford to finance his wages.
President Joan Laporta needs to sanction as many sales as possible, so Tottenham's interest in Emerson is undoubtedly music to his ears.
Spurs are in the market for a new right-back as they do not feel that Serge Aurier or Matt Doherty provide the quality needed to challenge for a place in the Premier League's top four, and that's been evidenced by Nuno Espirito Santo's decision to promote Japhet Tanganga to the role of regular starter.
Mundo Deportivo note that talks between Spurs and Barcelona over Emerson are advanced, and a €30m deal is likely to be agreed before the transfer window slams shut on Tuesday night.
Should Emerson leave as expected, Barça will still be well stocked at right-back as they have both Sergino Dest and Oscar Mingueza vying for regular minutes - while Sergi Roberto is also a versatile player who can fill in if required.
Spurs, meanwhile, will then attempt to shift Aurier off the books, likely on loan, but he won't be included in the deal with Barcelona as had been previously mooted.
There will also be no move to north London for Barcelona midfielder Ilaix Moriba, who instead looks likely to join RB Leipzig. Spurs, as well as many other top Premier League clubs, had hoped to persuade the talented 18-year-old that his future lay in England, but he's opted to progress his career in the Bundesliga.
Moriba is likely to cost Leipzig in the region of €20m, and his transfer should act as the catalyst for Marcel Sabitzer to finally complete his long-awaited switch to Bayern Munich.
This article was originally published on 90min as Tottenham & Barcelona negotiating €30m transfer of Emerson.
Source: www.90min.com