According to Mundo Deportivo, Barcelona are looking for cheap full-backs with Manchester City's Joao Cancelo, Juventus' Mattia de Sciglio and their very own Emerson named as the prime targets to strengthen Nelson Semedo's position.
And Tribuna.com would advise the Catalan club to bring back the Brazilian who is on loan at Real Betis for one more season.
Here are the main numbers provided by WhoScored to explain why the 21-year-old is the best option to strengthen the right-back position.
Lethal in attack
- Barca have long been looking for a full-back with an eye on the attack, someone similar to Dani Alves, and Emerson may fit this criterion.
- The 21-year-old scored three goals and provided six assists in 33 La Liga games last season while Barca's very own Nelson Semedo got involved in just three goals in 34 fixtures.
Reliable at the back
- Emerson also beats Semedo in two crucial aspects of the defensive play: the Brazilian averaged 2.2 tackles and 0.9 interceptions per game in La Liga.
- The Portuguese, for his part, registered just 1.6 tackles and 0.7 interceptions in the league last term.
Beast in the air
- Emerson averaged 2 successful aerial duels in La Liga while Semedo managed just 0.4 aerials won per game last season.
As for Cancelo and De Sciglio, it would be unfair to compare either of them to Emerson due to their lack of playing time.
For example, Manchester City's man featured just 17 times while the Juventus' defender managed just nine appearances in the Premier League and Serie A respectively.
It remains to be seen whether Barca are really planning to bring Emerson back this summer as it may cost them between €6m and €12m. Some news outlets suggest the Catalans may even consider selling him if the right offer arrives.
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