Ligue 1 superstar would be perfect for Arsenal

Playing in his fifth season of top-flight football, it is hard to believe that Serge Aurier has just turned 21. It’s even harder to believe his age when you watch him play, he has the versatility and presence of an experienced veteran, and it’s easy to see why Arsene Wenger has supposedly been interested in bringing the full-back to the Emirates. Some argue that signing a player like Aurier would be an ideal replacement for Arsenal’s Bacary Sagna.

The Frenchman has again found his best form for the London club this season, but when asked on French TV if he would extending his current deal, he didn’t rule out a January exit. If the 32-year-old was to move on, then Aurier would be the absolute perfect replacement for Wenger, with the potential to become a serious upgrade. The Cameroonian defender is a serious talent, has been for a number of years, so good in fact, it’s hard to believe how young he actually is.

Back in 2009 a very young Aurier made his debut two days before his 17th birthday against Saint-Etienne, playing the full 90 minutes in a 1-0 win; he would turn out four more times that season. Fast forward four years later and he has played every minute of the 16 games he has played this season, scoring 184 Performance Score points. After making the move from Lens to Toulouse in January 2012 he has played 53 games for Le Téfécé and his impressive performances have seen him linked with a move to a top side for the last 18 months.

Last season after only being subbed off once in 28 appearances, Aurier finished with a Performance Score of 612, earning two Man of the Match award and making 122 clearances, 85 interceptions. Only once in the whole season did a mistake from Aurier cost Toulouse a goal. Add to that 17 key passes and three assists and you have an excellent season for a team that failed to find any consistency in their 10thplace finish.

He finished that season winning 85% of the 101 tackles he attempted, averaging eight defensive actions a game and winning 61% of his headed duels. This season Aurier’s duties have been split between playing as the right-sided centre-back in Toulouse’s 3-5-2 formation, or playing as the right wing-back, both roles that he plays superbly well. It gives the defender the chance to show both sides of his game. Concentrating on the defensive side when playing in the back three, he is a superb presence, physically strong, positionially excellent and a leader at such a young age. Given the chance in the wing-back role he can use his speed and impressive physique to bomb forward and support the attack, even as a centre-back he can’t help himself sometimes, like most modern-day full-backs he is very capable at getting forward and has the ability to deliver a superb ball in the final third. Furthermore, this season, he has created 18 chances, getting four assists – more than the likes of Oscar and Coutinho.

Serge Aurier Duels Won (This Season)

When Aurier played for Lens in Ligue 1 back in 2010/11 he played in a flat back four and impressed everyone when he was 18-years-old, alongside him in that defensive line was Henri Bedimo, Championship winner with Montpellier in 2012 and Raphael Varane, now a Real Madrid and French international superstar. It’s amazing to think that a back four including those three managed to get relegated to Ligue 2, but it shows the quality of the individuals, in what they have done since moving to pastures new.

Now it is time for Aurier to spread his wings and leave the comfort of Ligue 1. The player’s twitter feed, or the pictures of him posing in North London red, show that he is keen to make the move. Arsenal may not need his services in January if Sagna stays, but clubs will come calling in the summer, he will be sought after by Europe’s biggest and brightest clubs. If Wenger is smart he will get the wheels in motion and bring one of the most promising defenders in Europe to the Emirates, it’s a move he will not regret.