Tottenham set to sign Serge Aurier, beat PSG to Juan Foyth - source

Published on: 23 August 2017

Following their defeat at the weekend, the ESPN FC crew wonder if they've set the bar too high for Tottenham this season.

PARIS -- Paris Saint-Germain's Serge Aurier is close to joining Tottenham Hotspur and the Premier League club are also set to beat the French side to the signing of Estudiantes' Juan Foyth, a source close to the Ligue 1 outfit has told ESPN FC.

Aurier, who has had a summer exit agreed with PSG since the start of July, will sign a five-year contract if he can obtain official proof of his successful appeal against a convertible two-month prison sentence and PSG will pocket around €25 million.

The Ivory Coast international, 24, has been involved in several controversies during his three-season stay at Parc des Princes, and the signing of Dani Alves this summer, combined with the fact that Thomas Meunier is now ahead of him in the pecking order, means he has no real future in Paris.

The source said that if Aurier had not been awaiting his appeal against his convertible jail sentence for so long he would already be gone but that the delay has seen some suitors switch their interests elsewhere.

However, after the sale of Kyle Walker to Manchester City, Spurs needed a new right-back and Aurier is available at around half the price they received for the England international.

The source indicated that Aurier must still prove, through an official document, that his appeal against an alleged assault of a police officer last year has been successful and that he is eligible for both UK entry and work visas.

However, the source said that the former Toulouse and Lens player has his lawyer currently chasing the document because the appeal was a success -- even if it has not been reported publicly yet.

Serge Aurier looks set for a move to the Premier League.

As long as Aurier can obtain this paperwork in time to complete his Spurs move before the end of the transfer window, PSG will continue to resist Italian interest -- notably from Inter Milan -- in the full-back.

Meanwhile, the source also said PSG believe they have lost out in the race to sign central defender Foyth from Estaudiantes.

PSG looked likely to beat Spurs to the promising Argentine for some time but, after Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino got involved and spoke personally with Foyth, the player has only wanted to move to the Premier League with his compatriot's club.

Foyth's rejection has caused PSG sporting director Henrique and coach Unai Emery to change tack regarding the central defensive hierarchy.

Emery has now told captain Thiago Silva, Marquinhos and Presnel Kimpembe that there will be greater rotation between the three to keep them in optimum condition but also to give youth academy graduate Kimpembe maximum game time.

A source close to Spurs admitted there is interest in both Aurier and Foyth but said the club is not expecting either to sign imminently, though the signing of goalkeeper Paulo Gazzaniga from Southampton was announced on Wednesday.

ESPN FC's Tottenham correspondent, Dan Kilpatrick, contributed to this report.

Jonathan Johnson covers PSG and the French national team for ESPN FC. Twitter: @Jon_LeGossip.

Comments

Use a Facebook account to add a comment, subject to Facebook's Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. Your Facebook name, photo & other personal information you make public on Facebook will appear with your comment, and may be used on ESPN's media platforms. Learn more.

Source: espn.co.uk

This website uses cookies to ensure you get the best experience on our website.
Learn more