Tottenham’s new signing Serge Aurier is happy to have signed for the North London club and feels that it was because of chairman Daniel Levy and manager Mauricio Pochettino that he decided to join the club. (Sport Witness)
The Ivory Coast International had to endure a long transfer tussle to make his move. The delay was not because of the reluctance of his previous employers PSG or the transfer fees. It was purely an administrative delay due to which Aurier had to wait until the end of the transfer window to make his move.
The 24-year-old right-back had to wait for clearance from the Home Office as his visa was mired in legal issues. That was due to the assault case against him and Aurier had to wait a long time to get the clearance.
It is not that he had no other suitors – far from it. Aurier was chased by Manchester United as well, with reports earlier in the summer claiming that personal terms were agreed with the Red Devils.
Chelsea too were in the market for him while PSG offered him new terms with increased weekly wages. However, Aurier did not choose to renew his contract at PSG, citing their lack of respect. The interest of rival Premier League clubs Chelsea and Manchester United too was a non-starter.
It was only Spurs that were genuinely interested in the player and were looking to help him in the process of getting a visa. That probably explains why Aurier is very happy to have landed at Tottenham. Speaking in a video for Bros. Stories, the defender said (as quoted by Sport Witness):
“I had contacts with lots of clubs, but the most concrete choice was Tottenham. Why? Because the president travelled to Paris to see me to discuss a potential transfer, and that made me happy, because it sends a strong message.
“Then there was the manager who called me to tell me exactly what he wanted from me if I moved there. These were the two things that made me choose Tottenham. They also fought here to get me my work permit. There was no reason for me to go elsewhere, because I like people to show me they want me”.
That should explain why the £23m signing has chosen to snub every other offer and move to Tottenham. The prospect of working under Pochettino, who has a reputation of developing young players, is a great appeal for every player.
For the player too, it is an exciting time to be at Tottenham. The departure of Kyle Walker left Pochettino with a real need of a top player on the right-hand side of the defence.
And no matter how much the fans hate Levy for his transfer dealings, we need to give him credit for one thing. His ability to talk up Tottenham and get the players attracted to the club is second to none.
