Reports: Tottenham overtake Manchester United to agree personal terms with £29 million defender

What's the story?

Jose Mourinho is a happy man these days. Having smashed West Ham for 4 at home on the opening weekend and having signed 3 of his 4 targets this summer, life's pretty good for the Portuguese super-manager. But the man didn't get to where he is by accepting anything less than 100% - so if reports that Tottenham Hotspur have agreed personal terms with his 4th target are true then that anger is sure to rise back up!

The usually reliable French daily L'equipe are reporting that PSG's Serge Aurier has agreed terms with Tottenham - despite the mounting interest from United - as Spurs step up their efforts to replace Kyle Walker (and the currently injured Kieran Trippier)

In case you didn't know

Despite the recent Instagram post from Thomas Meunier - where the PSG right back posted a pic of him and Aurier with the caption - "he's staying" (something that Gerard Pique started off, with that infamous Neymar post, of course); it looks very much like the Ivorian is on his way out of the club.

He's had a very troubled relationship with his employees and combined with PSG's desperate need to offload some personnel - what with them having splurged €222 million on Neymar as well as the purchase of Dani Alves (Meunier is also ahead of Aurier in the pecking order) there doesn't seem to be any future for him in Paris.

The heart of the matter

Tottenham Hotspur have had a superb transfer window in that they have been able to retain all their key personnel - the Harry Kanes, the Dele Allis, the Christian Eriksens et al - while offloading the one squad member Mauricio Pochettino did not want for a whopping, record, amount - but they've not done anything whatsoever to add to their squad.

As Real Madrid and Barcelona proved beyond doubt last time, in order to have a successful Champions League and Domestic campaign the depth, and quality, of your squad makes-or-breaks you. With Trippier injured, Pochettino is resorting to untested youth-team players to hold fort, and while that's good enough for St. James Park, Old Trafford and the Parc des Princes are different ball games altogether.

Video

Here's Serge Aurier in all his athletic glory -

Spurs won't miss Walker if they have this man bombing up and down the right flank

Author's Take

If Serge Aurier has chosen Tottenham, it's a smart choice from the Ivorian as he has a higher chance of being a first-team player there than ousting Antonio Valencia at United... but knowing Daniel Levy, he'd probably have to put up with a substantial pay-cut too!

For Tottenham, it'll be a brilliant addition if it goes through. No questions on that.