Tottenham set to beat Manchester United to sign 24-year old star

Jose Mourinho will be furious if they lose the player to Tottenham

What's the story?

Tottenham Hotspur have just completed their first business of the summer with the purchase of Ajax centre back Davinson Sanchez and keeper Paolo Gazzaniga from Southampton. The Lilywhites stunned the world with a wonderful campaign last season that saw them finish second in the English Premier League and are now looking to build on that success.

Mauricio Pochettino intends to extend their success this season as well and is reportedly on the hunt for further reinforcements before the end of the transfer window.

ESPN has reported that Tottenham are now close to completing the signing of Paris Saint-Germain's £23 million-valued Serge Aurier, who is also being targeted by Manchester United and Inter Milan.

In case you didn't know...

Serge Aurier had categorically informed the Paris Saint-Germain authorities of his desire to leave the club, after tumbling down the pecking order at the Paris club. The arrival of Dani Alves is bound to push him further down, prompting the Ivorian to consider his options.

The heart of the matter

After initially being linked with moves to English giants Chelsea and Arsenal, talks seemingly failed with both clubs after a court hearing stalled the negotiations.

Aurier is believed to be awaiting the verdict of a case that saw him punch an official and subsequently get banned from playing in the United Kingdom. The imminent hearing will reportedly be in favour of the Ivorian, who will soon be allowed to ply his trade on English shores.

Thomas Meunier's rise to prominence, coupled with the arrival of Dani Alves from Juventus has almost ensured Aurier's departure, with the Ivorian agreeing on an exit back in July itself. Despite stiff interest from big clubs, Aurier's court issues compelled interested clubs to pursue other players instead.

With Chelsea and Manchester United reportedly cooling their interest in the 24-year old, Tottenham Hotspur have now emerged as the main contenders for Aurier's signature. Kyle Walker's £50 million switch to Manchester City has left Tottenham in dire need of a replacement, and Pochettino has ostensibly identified Aurier as an able alternative.

Valued at £25 million, Aurier will cost Tottenham only half of what they got when they sold Walker, making the potential move completely feasible.

The English Premier League runners-up will intend to mount an even stronger challenge this season and will hope to bolster their squad with some depth before the window ends.

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Author's take

Despite falling out of favour with the PSG hierarchy, Aurier is a fine player on the flanks and would thoroughly reinforce any side that he joins.