Barcelona trigger Emerson buy-back clause

Barcelona has announced their third signing in as many days as they have signed Brazilian right-back Emerson Royal from Real Betis.

According to Sport, the Catalan side triggered the €9 million buy-back to sign him permanently from the Seville-based side.

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The right-back becomes Barcelona’s third signing ahead of next season.

The club was always expected to bring back Emerson and have him do preseason. What was left in doubt was whether or not he would stay. One of the alternatives was to sign him and then sell him for a decent fee. There were rumors that PSG were interested.

Plans change and now it is believed he will stay and compete for the starting right-back spot with Sergiño Dest.

He’s spent his last two seasons on loan at Betis and put in good performances and shown great progress.

He is a threat going forward and scored five goals and contributed 10 assists in 79 games with the Green-and-Whites.

The question mark with him as a player was his defensive capabilities. But he’s improved in that area as well and has done a better job of closing down opponents this past season.

One knock-down effect of the Brazilian’s arrival regards the future of Sergi Roberto. The La Masia graduate has fallen down the pecking order and is finding himself without a place in the team.

Both Emerson and Dest are players for the present and the future. He provides something the club has lacked in recent years and that is competition. They now have that with these two players.

Whenever the subject of Barca was broached to Emerson he always said that his objective was to return and to succeed. It looks like his dream has come true and will get the chance to prove himself.