£26m star says he wants to play at Tottenham after January exit rumours

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Emerson Royal has underlined his desire to fight to play more at Tottenham despite the January arrival of Pedro Porro.

Spurs chased Porro throughout the January transfer window and eventually got his arrival over the line on deadline day.

It was reported that Spurs wanted to sell £26 million man Royal, but in the end, Matt Doherty went to Atletico Madrid on a free transfer instead.

Now, Royal has told the Daily Mail he wants to battle Porro for the starting place on the right of Antonio Conte’s back five.

Emerson Royal wants to stay and play at Tottenham despite Pedro Porro arrival

“A healthy dispute,” said Royal about the competition for places he now has with Porro, after Doherty and Djed Spence left the club in January.

“As we say in football, a good fight. I want to play. He’s going to want to play too. The important thing is that we have players who are going to have this fight and the club does need that kind of players.

“We have some big competitions and we’re going to need everybody.

“We are a team with great potential and we can compete and fight for big things but with inconsistencies this is practically impossible.”

Royal played his best game in a Spurs shirt against Manchester City earlier this month, but was then dropped for the trip to Leicester.

Porro made his debut in that game, but putting Japhet Tanganga in from the cold alongside him at right centre-half was a risk which proved to be a mistake.

The management of the two right wing-backs has not been optimum since the window closed, and Cristian Stellini needs to get that right now in the absence of Antonio Conte.