Emerson Royal has insisted Tottenham Hotspur were determined to keep him when he left for AC Milan.
He’s been speaking to Gazzetta dello Sport about his move to AC Milan in August 2024, and detailed how it was a disaster from day one.
The Brazilian defender joined them from Tottenham a year ago, for a fee of around €15m. He signed a four-year deal at the time, including an option for a further year.
That lasted less than a year, though. This summer saw him return to his native Brazil in a €9m move to Flamengo.
Emerson’s return home came after something of a disastrous year with the Italian side. He found himself under scrutiny from day one, with fans and pundits alike questioning the move.
They had seen him playing at Tottenham, which was marked with inconsistent performances from the get-go. He often earned praise for his work ethic but drew heavy criticism from Tottenham fans for his technical limitations and poor decision making, particularly in attack.
That led to a now infamous song, “he can’t defend, he can’t attack”, which he was subjected to on more than one occasion. That song later followed him to Italy and Milan.
More scrutiny than Ronaldo after Tottenham exit
The defender has now admitted it was a problem, believing that he was doomed at Milan from day one.
“I arrived in Italy with a slightly strange feeling right from the start,” he said.
“From the start, every time I said or did something, I was talked about more than Cristiano Ronaldo… but in a negative way. I felt like I had to always do twice as much to be accepted, and then still not be accepted.
“That video was manipulated and made to look recent when I arrived at Milan, but it was an old video. It dated back to a difficult time we went through with Conte.
“Fans comment on everything, that’s normal. But when I chose to leave Tottenham, the club tried to keep me because I had improved so much. And I had an excellent relationship with everyone.
“I’m someone who doesn’t get hit easily, because I know my worth. But it’s not nice to arrive and feel that wave of hatred without even having stepped onto the pitch and played even a minute.
“I have family and friends: they’re the ones who suffer the most. It certainly wasn’t a pleasant situation. You never want to hear certain things while you’re trying to do your job to the best of your ability, whatever it is.”
Maybe this is a slight twisting of the story to fit how Emerson Royal wants to see his recent history. He was given big opportunities at Tottenham Hotspur and AC Milan and failed to shine for either.