"If it carries on like this..." - Transfer insider drops huge claim on £25.8m Spurs ace's future

Transfer insider Dean Jones reckons that if Emerson Royal’s situation at Tottenham doesn’t change, they could listen to offers for him this summer.

Royal only made the switch to the Premier League from Barcelona in August but has struggled to adapt to English football.

What’s the latest news involving Royal?

The sacking of Nuno Espirito Santo, the man that signed him, and Spurs’ own inconsistent results, hasn’t helped Royal, but his form has been generally underwhelming.

He has been Tottenham’s number one right-sided player under Nuno and then Antonio Conte, but Royal has been unable to show the type of form that perhaps was expected from a player signing from Barcelona.

According to WhoScored, the 23-year-old has been Spurs’ seventh-best player this season, although his 6.89 rating is the worst of any player who’s started 15 games or more. In his 17 top-flight outings, he’s chipped in with just one assist and his offensive statistics are below par to say the least.

Royal averages 0.3 shots per game, 0.6 successful dribbles and one key pass, while his defensive work hasn’t exactly been up to scratch. In the defeat to Southampton, the Brazilian was arguably at fault for the second and third goals, which ultimately led to him being dropped against Wolves.

Therefore, Jones believes that if his situation doesn’t improve before the end of the season, Royal could be put up for sale this summer.

What did Jones say about Royal?

He told GIVEMESPORT: “I can see a scenario where Tottenham would be willing to listen to offers at the end of the season, if it carries on like this.”

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Should Tottenham cash-in on Royal?

He might be less than six months into his Tottenham career, but it already feels like it isn’t going to happen for Royal.

The majority of his career has been spent at right-back, which explains why he’s struggling to adapt to his newfound right wing-back role. Prior to this season, Royal had only played at wing-back six times in Spain and Brazil, so it shouldn’t come as a great surprise that he regularly looks a bit lost.

Therefore, while it might appear harsh to move him on so quickly after he arrived, while Conte is manager, it’s unlikely to get easier for him and Spurs should be open to recouping the majority of the £25.8m they paid Barcelona if they get an offer this summer.