North London clubs Arsenal and Tottenham made additions to their squad on transfer deadline day in the shape of Tomiyasu and Emerson, respectively.
Tomiyasu joined the Gunners from Serie A club Bologna for an initial fee of £16m, while Emerson signed for Spurs from Barcelona for around £25.8m.
Both Tomiyasu and Emerson went on to make their debuts for their respective teams at the weekend, but their destiny could have been very different in the summer.
Tomiyasu and Emerson could have joined the opposite north London club in the summer, with Arsenal holding talks with Barcelona for the Brazilian and Spurs considering the Japan international a serious target.
Arsenal were in advanced negotiations with Barcelona over a deal for Emerson, but Arteta’s doubts over the player saw the deal stall.
Tottenham, on the other hand, were keen on signing Tomiyasu, but their interest cooled after Japhet Tanganga impressed as a defensive right-back.
Spurs moved swiftly after learning Arsenal’s deal for Emerson, who preferred a move to Nuno Espirito Santo’s side, had stalled, while Arteta was a driving force behind the Gunners’ decision to sign Tomiyasu.
