If reports are to be believed then North London club Tottenham Hotspur are now in the driving seat to secure the services of Paris Saint-Germain full back Serge Aurier. The Lilywhites have now surpassed money spenders Manchester United in the race following the departure of Kyle Walker to Manchester City.
The English full-back had ended his career with Tottenham Hotspur on the fringes as Mauricio Pochettino was seen favouring Kieran Tripper than his compatriot in the right-back’s role during the closing stages of last season. And now with Walker gone, Pochettino is expected to get a replacement before they commence their season in two weeks.
Pochettino would ideally prefer a more mobile option in that role who could easily adapt to his three-man and four-man defence. With Moussa Sissoko turning out to be a great failure on the right flank, the Argentine gaffer has been left with few options by his side. And PSG’s Aurier looks quite potent to take up that role.
The 24-year-old is extremely versatile across the defensive third and his tremendous energy and speed from wide areas can make him a huge threat for any opponent. He has been one of their exciting performers since joining from Toulouse back in 2015 playing 81 times, scoring five goals and assisting 15 times.
However new manager Unai Emery hasn’t seen him as one of their more impactful players to be sure as the Ivory Coast international was seen playing mostly second fiddle to Thomas Meunier. He has failed to make 25 league appearances in any of the past two seasons and is expected to leave the side in search of regular chances.
He didn’t travel with the team on their pre-season tour and Emery’s confirmation soon followed. Speaking to the media, the PSG boss Emery had said: “I spoke with Serge to tell him that I wanted him to stay. He told me that he wants to leave and he preferred staying in Paris (instead of going on tour to the USA) to prepare for his departure.”
His contract with the club runs out in 2019 and PSG would be desperate to sell him this summer for a hefty price if the player is unwilling to commit his future to the club. Apart from Spurs, Manchester United have also been quite keen on landing him.
But the London club are currently the favourites to get Aurier’s signature at 7/4, ahead of Manchester United at 2/1. The other Manchester outfit, City, also have an outside chance with the odds at 5/2 while Ligue 1 Champions AS Monaco are the outsiders at 10/1.
