Aston Villa’s failed attempt to sign Emerson Royal has now been explained in greater detail. Fresh information from Brazil points to Leonardo Jardim as the key figure behind Flamengo’s decision to keep the defender.
Recent reports stated the Brazilian club had decided against accepting Villa’s improved offer. That offer was believed to be worth around €10m (£8.6m). They cited concerns over squad depth and the lack of an immediate replacement for Guillermo Varela.
ESPN Brazil journalist Bruno Andrade has now added another layer to that story.
Why Flamengo said no
According to Andrade, Flamengo’s presidency would have been willing to sanction Emerson Royal’s return to English football. Instead, it was manager Leonardo Jardim who blocked the move.
“Leonardo Jardim himself stopped the negotiations. If it had been down to Flamengo’s presidency, Emerson Royal would already be an Aston Villa player”, he said.
The report claims the Portuguese manager is determined to preserve the core of his squad during the current transfer window.
Flamengo’s plan is to generate transfer income by selling academy graduates and younger players rather than disrupting the first-team group, even if some members of that squad are not automatic starters.
That explains why Emerson Royal remained off the market. This came despite Aston Villa increasing their proposal.
Presidency and manager saw things differently
Bruno Andrade also says there is a “yellow warning light” inside Flamengo regarding the size of the squad.
The club are already dealing with issues at left-back and do not want to create another problem on the opposite flank by allowing Varela’s main deputy to leave.
From Aston Villa’s perspective, the latest explanation suggests the negotiations were ultimately halted by football reasons rather than financial ones, with Leonardo Jardim placing greater value on maintaining depth in his squad than accepting the Premier League club’s offer.
