Serge Aurier is the only option for Tottenham at right-back (Getty Images)
According to Football.london, Tottenham could soon be faced with a contract decision regarding Serge Aurier. The former PSG man’s current deal is set to expire in about 18 months time. He is one of the numerous Spurs players to have improved their performance levels this season under Jose Mourinho.
Serge Aurier is a 27-year-old Ivorian defender who plays for Tottenham Hotspur. He spent time at the youth academies of Stade d’Abidjan and Villepinte before professionally starting his career at RC Lens in 2006. He played a total of 55 games for Lens before departing for Toulouse in January 2012. (h/t Transfermarkt)
His form and output improved a lot at Toulouse. In the two and a half seasons he spent there, he played 80 games, scored 8 and assisted 13. Paris Saint-Germain took him on loan for the 2014-15 season. They made the deal permanent in the following year.
He performed decently for the Parisians in the 81 appearances he made for them, scoring 5 and assisting 15. Finally in 2017, he moved to Tottenham and has amassed 93 games for the North London side. (h/t Transfermarkt) Aurier has 66 caps and 2 goals for the Ivory Coast national team to date.
When Matt Doherty was signed at the start of the season, many presumed it would be the end of Aurier’s career at Spurs. After all, Aurier hasn’t had the best of times since his arrival.
He was always seen as an erratic full-back who could contribute in the attack but drop the ball when defending. His rash nature of tackling was often a huge issue, with him not being the clear choice at right-back.
However, this season under Mourinho, the Ivorian has undergone a tremendous level of transformation. His defensive side of the game has been hammered into shape and looks equally adept at both ends of the pitch. He has played an equal part in Spurs’ possible title challenge this season.
With such drastic improvements, Spurs would be rather unwise to not offer him a new contract. It would seem as the right gesture for a player who has worked hard under the manager to stake a claim to be the first-choice right-back in the side.
It finally seems like Aurier is delivering the performances he once promised to deliver and a new contract would be the right decision.