Aston Villa have reportedly lodged a surprise ‘offer’ for former Tottenham Hotspur star Emerson Royal as Unai Emery’s summer transfer plans begin to take shape.
The Villans are in for a busy transfer window after qualifying for the Champions League, and Emery appears keen to bring in more competition at right-back.
Matty Cash is currently Villa’s main man in the position, while Anders Garcia has played a back-up role, though the latter has been linked with moves away from the club.
Now, according to a shock report from ESPN Brazil, as cited by Sport Witness, Villa have submitted a €9million (£7.8m / $10.2m) offer to Flamengo for former Tottenham star Emerson.
Interestingly, the 27-year-old was signed by Flamengo from AC Milan in 2025 for exactly the same €9million fee.
Flamengo are yet to make a decision, but they are big fans of Emerson, so luring him from the Brazilian club might not be straightforward for the Villans.
Emerson made 101 appearances for Spurs during his time with the London club, but struggled to find consistency in his performances.
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Villa have other priorities amid Emerson ‘offer’ rumours
Villa appear are reportedly keen to give Emerson a second chance in the Premier League and his addition would give Emery some valuable depth at right-back as they aim to compete both domestically and in Europe.
The move could be deemed to make sense if Garcia leaves Villa as he would need replacing.
But given his performances in the Premier League, overall, left a lot to be desired, it would be a surprise to see Villa bring him in.
It’s worth noting that no other outlets have backed up ESPN Brazil’s claims of a bid for Emerson, so they must be taken with a pinch of salt, for now.
Instead, Villa seem to be mainly focused on attacking additions at the moment.
TEAMtalk revealed earlier today that they are in the race to sign Fulham winger Harry Wilson on a free transfer, while they’re also favourites to land West Ham skipper Jarrod Bowen.
But the biggest story of the summer for Villa could actually be a painful exit.
Superstar playmaker Morgan Rogers continues to attract significant interest from Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester City.
The England international won’t force an exit but is understood to be tempted by the opportunity to join a side that consistently challenges for trophies.
Crucially, none of Arsenal, Chelsea or Man City have been put off by Villa’s demands, which are north of the club-record £100million they sold Jack Grealish to the Cityzens for in 2021.