Emerson Royal was bought by Barcelona in 2019 from Atlético Mineiro for a fee of 12.7 million euros but it was a joint financial operation along with Real Betis who also owned part of his economic rights. The Brazilian then joined Real Betis with the Catalans having the option to purchase him back in 2021.
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Hence, Barca have completed the signing of the right-back for 9 million euros and he’s now going to play for the La Liga giants from next season onwards. He’s a massive addition to the squad given the quality he has shown over the last two seasons at Real Betis.
After selling Nelson Semedo, Barca only had Sergino Dest as a proper right-back with Sergi Roberto and Oscar Mingueza occasionally playing an off-role position on the right flank. With Roberto struggling to regain his form after his long-term injury and Mingueza more suited for the center-back role, Emerson’s arrival helps fix a major issue at the Nou Camp.
While Dest has shown tremendous potential and continues to develop as a player, the lack of competition for the role asked too much from the 20-year-old who struggled at times when facing tough competition like Kylian Mbappe when playing against Paris Saint-Germain. While Emerson is also young at 22 years of age, he has more experience playing in La Liga and will provide coach Ronald Koeman with the depth he needed at the right-back position.
Hence, here are five things that Emerson Royal will bring to the Nou Camp from next season,
#5 Crossing
The young right-back is just extremely well drilled at crossing the ball. Hence, with this signing, there will be more competition for the likes of Sergino Dest and Sergi Roberto at the right-back position. Emerson’s crossing abilities can be a massive advantage for Koeman, who likes his full-backs to play on a more attacking position, and with both Lionel Messi and Kun Aguero in the box, the connection between the players will be very important.
Royal’s time at Betis has shown us how wonderful he is at crossing the ball and perhaps fans could finally witness a similar connection between Emerson and Messi that they saw when Dani Alves was rocking the right flank.
#4 Overlapping
The Brazilian is extremely good at overlapping midfielders in order to make a cross or a pass into the box or create a particular chance. He’s shown his quality in making runs in order to create chances at Real Betis. He’s done it extremely well and is probably one of the reasons he’s being called back to the Nou Camp by triggering that particular deal.
Dest is often known to create brilliant chances with his dribbling skills and while Emerson may not be as gifted in that aspect, he is capable of playing in a similar fashion to that of Dani Alves, which fans would remember worked magically with Messi up front.
#3 Passing
The former Real Betis loanee is a gorgeous passer of the ball and if there is one thing Barca looks for in a player then that’s their passing. While it is true that the current squad is very slow at build-up plays which often lead to the opposition catching up with the play, fans have at times seen what the squad can do when they move the ball around quicker.
Emerson’s passing abilities will be extremely crucial when it comes to build-up and interlinking with the attackers. Given that he’s a solid passer of the ball he will refrain from making errors and play his part well in Barcelona’s possessional-based gameplan.
#4 Ball progressor
The Brazilian is a right-back, hence it means that he’s got to be a good ball carrier or progressor. It means that whenever he is on the ball, the team can catch a breath because there will not be much risk of losing the ball. Dest, oftentimes, lost possession while trying to dribble past the opposition which gives the opposition a massive counter-attack opportunity as the entire right-flank is left unprotected.
Emerson in that sense is more reliable than Dest and could play a key role in strengthening the right flank. As a right-back, he can be part of build-ups and counterattacks by being a top-notch ball progressor. He can help the team move the ball forward while also making sure that the space he has created behind him is not left unguarded.
#5 Defending
Arguably the most important impressive characteristic of Emerson would be his defending capabilities. Barcelona have been extremely weak when it comes to defending and the right-back position has often been the sole reason for the squad’s losses over the season.
Examples like Sergino Dest against Kylian Mbappe or even Sergi Roberto against Levante where the Spaniard’s mistakes after being subbed on led to Barca blowing their 2-0 lead at first-half and ending the match 3-3, showcase that the right-back position can have a critical impact on the entire match.
While Sergino Dest is a solid full-back, he still needs further development to compete against the likes of Mbappe during a crucial Champions League fixture. Emerson Royal brings a little bit more to this aspect. He’s solid defensively and he will not succumb easily to new and young, pacey wingers on the flanks.
The Blaugranas have taken two steps already in terms of improving their defense. They’ve landed Eric Garcia and now resigned Emerson Royal from Betis. The rebuild is well underway and fans can be excited to know that president Joan Laporta is not done yet.
Are you excited about Emerson’s arrival at the Nou Camp?