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PSG Transfer News: Latest on Serge Aurier Exit Rumours Amid Spurs Interest
August 28, 2017
Tottenham Hotspur will learn on Tuesday whether Paris Saint-Germain full-back Serge Aurier will receive a United Kingdom visa, a crucial step in completing his late summer transfer move.
That's according to L'Equipe (via sportswriter Jonathan Johnson):
Aurier has been linked with a Premier League switch throughout the summer, and the speculation started well before then. Spurs are said to be the front-runners for the Ivory Coast international.
As L'Equipe explained (via Annie Eaves of Sport Witness), PSG and Spurs are said to have already agreed to a transfer fee, worth up to €27 million (£25 million) including bonuses. Aurier has also agreed to personal terms with the Premier League club and undertaken a medical in Paris, stemming from his issues entering the UK.
The 24-year-old was denied entry into the country in November for a UEFA Champions League match against Arsenal following allegations of violence toward a police officer in France. Per Sport Witness, he's been appealing ever since, but it remains an issue in regard to obtaining a UK visa.
According to the reports, his full appeal won't be resolved on Tuesday, but Aurier will learn whether his new visa application―which he entered with a document showing he will not go to prison regardless of the result of his appeal―has been approved.
Sport Witness noted the report glossed over the legal issue:
If the talented defender can not get a work visa, any transfer to the Premier League is off the table. He's likely to stay in the French capital in that case, although a late move to Serie A is also possible, per Eaves.
Aurier's talent has never been questioned, but off-the-field issues have held the speedster back during his career.
Along with the aforementioned allegations, he also made headlines last year when a tape emerged of him insulting both then-manager Laurent Blanc and team-mate Zlatan Ibrahimovic. Per Goal, he was forced to train with the reserves as punishment, and his career in the City of Light has never truly recovered.
Belgium international Thomas Meunier's arrival in 2016 and his surprisingly good form thereafter made a transfer far more likely, although Aurier's legal problems remain a sticking point. At the very least, signing a player accused of violence against police will be perceived as a bad PR move.
But perhaps the 2014 FIFA World Cup breakout star only needs a change of scenery to return to his best form, in which case Spurs could come away with an incredible-value signing.