Football NewsEmerson Royal has been quizzed on whether he feels “used” by Barcelona
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In June, the Brazil international full-back saw a purchase option taken up at Camp Nou, with a €9 million deal seeing him acquired by Catalan heavyweights permanently from Real Betis

Emerson thought that Barca wanted him to stay

Tottenham new boy Emerson Royal has been quizzed on whether he feels “used” by Barcelona after being signed and sold by the Liga giants in the same transfer window. In June, the Brazil international full-back saw a purchase option taken up at Camp Nou, with a €9 million deal seeing him acquired by Catalan heavyweights permanently from Real Betis. At the end of August, and with financial difficulties at Barca making sales essential, another deal was done as Emerson found himself leaving Spain for England in an agreement worth up to £26m. Emerson took in three appearances for Barcelona and admitted that heading through the exits came as something of a surprise, telling reporters: “I thought that the club wanted me to stay. I played the Sunday as a starter, the day after I woke up and I went to training relaxed.”

The player was going to triumph at Barcelona

“There I already started to see that many things were happening, that Tottenham spoke with Barcelona, that they had almost done it. I didn’t understand anything that was happening because I didn’t know anything. By the afternoon, the club called me because they wanted to speak with me, and there they told me they wanted to sell.” He added: “I met with the directors of the club. They started to tell me that the club’s situation wasn’t good, that I came at a complicated time and that for that reason, it was better to sell. I repeated my intention to stay because I had a dream of playing here and contribute to Barcelona. I know that in my best form, I was going to triumph here.”

“I am smart, and I realised at that moment, no matter what I said, I was out. They were kicking me out with good words. I have the ambition to play. I could say that I am a footballer with a contract and I could have said I am staying, but I am a person who wants to be happy. I don’t want to stay at a club that I love but being sad. I knew their thoughts were that I don’t stay without saying it. Then, I decided to leave. I said that I don’t want to stay and be sad.”