Serge Aurier is expected to remain at Spurs and try to hold down a starting place following Kieran Trippier’s move to Atletico Madrid (Evening Standard).
The Frenchman made just eight Premier League appearances last season compared with his right-back rival who made 27.
But following the 28-year-old Englishman’s departure to La Liga for £20million, the door has suddenly opened again for Aurier to become one of the first names on the team sheet.
Spurs are reportedly open to offers for the Ivory Coast international, but he could now be a much-needed asset given the only other clear options for the position are youngsters Kyle Walker-Peters and Juan Foyth.
It is thought that the Lilywhites are interested in bringing former Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain defender Dani Alves in on a free transfer as another option on the right, but as yet a deal has not been struck.
One of the major problems with Spurs putting their trust in a player like Aurier is he has not played more than 22 league games in a season since the 2013/14 campaign when he was with Toulouse.
So, that’s five years in which he has not proven himself at either Paris Saint-Germain or Spurs as a full-back who is cut out to play 40 or 45 games.
In addition, his passing success percentage last season was more than 10 per cent less than Foyth and 8 per cent less than Walker-Peters, and he also managed fewer assists than the 22-year-old Englishman despite playing nearly double the number of games.
The only real factor you can say Aurier has the edge over the other two options is he is more experienced given he is more than four years older than the pair and has played at Lens, Toulouse and PSG.
But Pochettino has given inexperienced players a real chance to shine at Spurs – Dele Alli and Harry Winks most notably – and this is an opportunity for him to recoup some money for Aurier and once again put his trust in the youngsters.
With Josh Onomah and Marcus Edwards expected to leave this summer, the sale of Aurier and renewed faith in Foyth and Walker-Peters could silence doubters who question whether he is abandoning his project with the youth at Tottenham.
Tottenham fans, is it time for Aurier to be moved on? Join the discussion by commenting below…
