HomeFeatured ArticlesIs signing Serge Aurier a risk worth taking for Tottenham?

Is signing Serge Aurier a risk worth taking for Tottenham?

Tottenham are edging closer to completing the transfer of Serge Aurier from PSG, according to the Evening Standard. The right-back has found himself surplus to requirements after the signing of Dani Alves and it looks like he is set to finally leave the Ligue 1 club for North London. He has been linked with a move to the Premier League on numerous occasions, but for one reason or another, it hasn’t happened. Spurs needed to sign a right-back after the sale of Kyle Walker. It would have been a huge ask for Kieran Trippier and Kyle Walker-Peters to hold down the spot for an entire season.

The fee is thought to be £23 million and that is a good price for a player with Aurier’s ability. However, he does come at that price for a reason. He has been known to be a disruptive influence in the dressing room at times, while his run-ins with the law are another concern that Tottenham will have to deal with. The right-back is currently banned from entering the UK and that poses a huge problem if a deal is completed.. They have a tightly-knit squad and that could be damaged by the arrival of the right-back.

Aurier is an attack-minded full-back, who looks to get forward and support the forwards at every opportunity. His versatility makes him an attractive option, as he can also cover the left-back and centre-back positions. Last season, he averaged 1.13 chances created and attempted 1.13 shots every ninety minutes, which shows the threat that he can pose. He is more of a goal threat than Walker was and that would add a different edge to the Tottenham attack. The Ivorian is a quick and skillful dribbler, capable of beating opposition players as shown by his successful take on rate of 59.46%.

Defensively, the PSG full-back is good and would offer balance to the back four. He is intelligent in his movement and knows when to go forward and when to remain at the back. During the last campaign, he averaged 1.67 tackles won and 1.53 interceptions per ninety minutes. Despite his small stature, Aurier can compete in the air and won 68.67% of his aerial duels last season.

Mauricio Pochettino will be pleased if he manages to get Aurier in terms of adding a player with Champions League experience. The team were poor in the competition last season and their lack of experience needed to be addressed. Considering Kyle Walker brought in a world record fee for a defender, that fact that the Ivorian is costing less than half the price, it is a good financial deal for the club. Many will argue that he represents an upgrade, but his character means that it is a risk for the North London club.

Tottenham are starting to make progress in the transfer market and if they manage to sign three or four players of Aurier’s quality, they will have had a good window. It is a big risk to sign the Ivorian considering that he can’t currently enter the country, but the upside of the deal if huge. They will be hoping it works out for them and he can get his career back on track in the Premier League.

 

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