Aston Villa The interest in Emerson Royal has been the subject of much discussion in Brazil this past week. Now, the former Tottenham defender himself has addressed the speculation.
The 27-year-old is at the center of an on-and-off transfer saga after Aston Villa made an approach of up to €10m (£8.6m), only for Flamengo to decide against completing the deal.
Speaking after Flamengo's friendly win over Lausanne-Sport on Wednesday, Emerson Royal was asked about the Premier League club's interest. His comments were relayed Itatiya Sport.
Instead of ruling out any move or pressing for one, the right-back struck in a measured tone.
"As I always say, until nothing is decided, my focus is always on Flamengo," He said.
"I'm very happy to receive this offer because it shows that my work is being recognized. My focus is on Flamengo, but I don't know what the future holds."
Transfer story remains open
Recent reports in Brazil suggested Aston Villa increased their offer to almost €10m (£8.6m). However, Flamengo ultimately decided not to sell Emerson Royal for the time being.
As we covered recently, The decision was largely driven by manager Leonardo Jardim.. He wants to keep the core of his team intact rather than losing experienced first-team players during the current window.
The Portuguese coach is also said to value Emerson Royal's role behind Guillermo Varela. This is important, particularly given the need to rotate at right-back over a long season.
door not closed
Emerson Royal's comments suggest that he too is adopting a similar approach. The defender made it clear that he remains committed to Flamengo, while also admitting that his future has not yet been decided.
This leaves the door open if Aston Villa decide to revisit the deal later in the window.
However, for now, Emerson Royal's message is simple: his focus remains on Flamengo, even if he can't say for sure where he will play when the transfer window closes.
