Mueez Ajao
Emerson Royal ‘hurt’ by Barcelona after being signed and sold in same window
– Emerson Royal has said he felt hurt by the way Barcelona forced him to make a deadline day move to Premier League side Tottenham Hotspur.
– Emerson, 22, had only signed for Barca in June when the club activated a clause to recall him from Real Betis for €9 million.
– However, when Tottenham offered €25m for the right-back on Monday, the Barca hierarchy called him into the training ground and explained that they were going to let him go, despite his desire to stay.
– “I thought the club wanted me to stay,” Emerson told Marca in an interview on Friday. “I started on Sunday [against Getafe]. Then, the next day I started to see a mountain of things came coming out. That Tottenham were talking with Barcelona, that it was almost done.
– “I didn’t know anything. The club called me to the training ground and that is when I learned they wanted me to go.”
– Emerson explained that Barcelona’s financial crisis was the reason he was pushed out the door.
– “The directors were all there, telling me the club’s situation wasn’t good, that they were going through a difficult moment and that it was best to accept the offer,” he said.
– “I repeated that I wanted to stay because it was my dream to play for Barcelona. I knew I could succeed there if I was at my best. But I’m not stupid and we reached a moment where I realised they were telling me I was going whatever happened.
– “I would not say I feel used, but the way they behaved hurts. There are better ways to do things. When I joined, I was sure they didn’t want to sell me, but seeing what’s happened, I’m certain they had this in mind when they brought me back.”
– Emerson is now ready to open another new chapter in his career at Spurs, with an ambitious Premier League side that has started the 2021-22 season with three successive wins set to return to domestic action on September 11 in a derby date against London rivals Crystal Palace.
