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One thing that Tottenham Hotspur fans can probably all agree on right now is that right-back Serge Aurier is perhaps the most frustrating player the club has had in the Premier League era. The Ivorian is capable of brilliance at times, but at others, he seems head-scratchingly mistake-prone.
Now 26 years old and in his third season in North London, it doesn’t seem that Aurier will change any time soon; it’s simply not his style. Therefore, based on the costly errors he continues to make, it seems almost certain that Spurs boss Jose Mourinho will look to replace him at some point in the near future. The only question is, with whom?
Here are three possible replacements for Serge Aurier at Tottenham.
#1 Denzel Dumfries
Dutch international Denzel Dumfries would fit the bill for a replacement for Serge Aurier at Tottenham down to a tee. The 23-year old was signed by PSV Eindhoven in the summer of 2018 and has been the Eredivisie side’s first-choice right-back ever since, actually playing against Tottenham twice during Champions League matches last season.
2018-19 saw Dumfries score 4 league goals and register 6 assists, and thus far in 2019-20, he’s scored 3 and made 2 assists – bettering the efforts of Aurier, who also has 2 assists but has yet to score in the Premier League. Like Aurier, the Dutchman is blessed with incredible pace, and while he’s not as good a crosser as the Ivorian just yet, he’s basically his equal in all other areas.
More to the point though, Dumfries is not yet the finished article; at 23 he’s still improving each season, and hooking him up with a top-class defensive coach like Mourinho could easily be the catalyst that transforms him into a world-class full-back. The raw talent is definitely there, and with a likely feel of somewhere around £30m, his signing would make sense for Tottenham.
#2 Youcef Atal
Nice’s right-back Youcef Atal would make for a risky – but potentially brilliant – signing for Tottenham, as the Algerian international has only played one season in European football thus far in his career. That season was a fantastic one, though – he scored 6 times from full-back and was given 8 Man of the Match awards by WhoScored.com – and it’s somewhat of a surprise that he’s still at Nice in 2019-20.
Just 23 years old, Atal is an interesting prospect in that he’s dual footed and has also played at left-wing in his career – essentially the opposite to his usual right-back berth. A highly attacking full-back, the Algerian is a fantastic dribbler – registering an average of 3.6 dribbles per game – and he also appears to be a better passer of the ball than Aurier, even if his crossing still needs some work.
In terms of defensive skills, Atal is a strong tackler and can use his speed to intercept play, and while it’s true that he isn’t the safest option just yet, it’s arguable that he’d still give more cover in Tottenham’s backline than Aurier – who has made a habit of going missing recently due to his wild attacks. Overall the Algerian would be a shrewd buy for Spurs; Jose Mourinho would undoubtedly help him develop the defensive side of his game while his attacking talents are already in existence.
#3 Noussair Mazraoui
Tottenham fans should know all about Moroccan right-back Noussair Mazraoui; he played twice against them in Champions League action for Ajax last season, and while Spurs famously came out on top in that clash, Mazraoui was one of the Dutch side’s better players, particularly in the second leg.
A product of Ajax’s famed youth academy, Mazraoui broke into the first team at the Amsterdam-based side in 2017-18, playing 8 Eredivisie matches, and 2018-19 saw him improve on that total with 28 appearances. At 22 years old he’s got his best years ahead of him, but he’s already an outstanding defender, with his best attribute being his incredible pace.
Like Aurier, Mazraoui is an attacking full-back – hardly surprising given he started life as a midfielder – but he’s also excellent in possession, rarely losing the ball and registering a superior passing success rate than the Ivorian defender. Essentially, he’d shore up Tottenham’s defence where Aurier tends to leave gaps, but Jose Mourinho’s side wouldn’t lose any of their attacking prowess in the process.
