Serge Aurier may want to secure a move away from Tottenham this month, but the reality is Spurs cannot afford to part with the temperamental right back.
Tottenham survived a scare from Aston Villa on Saturday to come away with three important points, but not all is well for Mauricio Pochettino’s squad. The idea that Serge Aurier is actively working to secure his exit presents Spurs with a difficult predicament.
According to The Daily Mail, both AC Milan and PSG are in the frame for the Ivory Coast right back. Curiously, PSG are the club who sent Aurier to North London in the first place. A move back to Paris would be interesting to say the least.
Unless a massive bid arrives before the September 2nd deadline, don’t look for Aurier’s wishes to come true. Tottenham are already painfully thin at the right back position. Kyle Walker-Peters got the start against Aston Villa, but he struggled to defend against quality opposition in the preseason. Juan Foyth appeared to have an inside track on the starting job until an ankle injury ruled him out until late September at the earliest.
Remember, Spurs also made the decision to let Kieran Trippier go to Atletico Madrid this summer. He endured a very mediocre campaign last year for Pochettino, but he still got a mountain of playing time. Letting him head to Spain already left the squad in need of identifying players to soak up his minutes.
Aurier isn’t necessarily in Pochettino’s long-range plans, but selling him in the next several weeks just wouldn’t make sense. Even if Walker-Peters plays brilliantly he will still need someone behind him capable of starting the occasional match. Unless Pochettino wants to give Eric Dier or Moussa Sissoko time at the right back position, it will be Aurier who gets those periodic starts.
Tottenham could, however, revisit the issue when the January transfer window rolls around. Foyth should be fit by then and conceivably, he and Walker-Peters could split the workload at the position. It’s also possible Spurs could elect to purchase their right back of the future in the winter if Walker-Peters can’t seize the job for his own.
No matter what, Aurier’s chances of securing a move away from England are pretty remote at the moment. Instead, he’ll need to concentrate on taking advantage of his occasional opportunities at Spurs. That will be the best way for him to earn a move away from Tottenham in the future.