Tottenham open talks to sign Vanderson as Emerson’s replacement | OneFootball

Tottenham Hotspur are moving quickly to bolster their squad with a new right back after parting ways with Emerson Royal.

The Brazilian has joined Serie A giants AC Milan in a deal worth around £12.8 million, and journalist Bruno Andrade reports that Spurs are now targeting Vanderson as his successor.

The 23-year-old has been on Tottenham’s radar since Milan opened talks to sign Emerson, and the club now has leeway to reinforce that position.

Vanderson has emerged as Spurs’ preference for the right-back role, but it is unclear if they’ll be willing to match Monaco’s £40m demands.

Tottenham have already signed English wonderkid Archie Gray from Leeds United this summer.

While he is predominantly a midfielder, the talented teenager is also capable of playing right back when required.

He played 30 times as a right-back for Leeds after establishing himself in the first team, so manager Ange Postecoglou may be tempted to deploy him in that role.

While Tottenham are exploring the possibility of signing Vanderson, they have also been linked with a move for Fiorentina’s Michael Kayode.

Tottenham can do better than Vanderson

Tottenham are reportedly big fans of Vanderson, but they must avoid a move for the Brazilian, considering his sketchy injury record.

He’s also not an upgrade on Emerson and is far from a value-for-money target, especially at Monaco’s exorbitant price.

Vanderson made 20 Ligue 1 appearances for the French giants last season, contributing three goals and an assist.

He also created two big chances and averaged a key pass per 90 minutes, but his defensive metrics left plenty to be desired.

His three tackles and 6.3 ball recoveries per match were impressive, but he was dribbled past nearly twice per 90 minutes and won just 43 percent of his total duels.

Given the ridiculous number of goals Spurs conceded last term, they need to find a right-back who is solid on both sides of the ball, and Vanderson doesn’t match that description.

Stats from Sofascore.com.