More than a few eyebrows were raised by a Serge Aurier report coming out of France early in Jose Mourinho’s reign at Tottenham Hotspur.
It was reported by Foot Mercato that Mourinho – who had just replaced Mauricio Pochettino at Spurs – had told the erratic right-back that he could be one of the best defenders in world football.
As a right-back, Aurier had been an error-prone one under Pochettino and despite initial progress when the Portuguese manager joined Tottenham, he soon reverted back.
The Ivory Coast international had his contract terminated by the Lilywhites last summer and it appears as if the former Paris Saint-Germain right-back is in the same boat once again.
According to Foot Mercato, Villarreal, who snapped him up on a free in 2021, have decided against extending Aurier’s contract for another season.
The 29-year-old managed 24 appearances across all competitions under Unai Emery this past season, but it would appear as if he didn’t do enough to impress the Spanish coach.
Aurier isn’t a horrible player by any means, despite what many Tottenham supporters might feel.
But defensively, he has never really looked the part, which makes Mourinho’s reported confidence in him in 2019 look all the more suspect.
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