I was looking for an exit this summer, admits Serge Aurier
Tottenham Hotspur full-back Serge Aurier had admitted that he wanted to leave Spurs in the summer and is still unsure about his future at the club. Aurier’s absence from pre-season is now explained by the admission of him wanting to move away from the club in the summer transfer window.
Serge Aurier has largely been demoted to a back-up role by Mauricio Pochettino and just 8 Premier League appearances last season support the above notion. Until last season Kieran Trippier was the preferred right-back but Trippier’s move away to Atletico Madrid opened the door for Aurier to the starting line-up with the former PSG man making 3 league outings and a solitary appearance in the Champions League. Football.London report that despite a slightly more regular role in the team, Aurier has warned that he mike look for new pastures if he isn’t promised regular football at Spurs.  Â
“I was looking for an exit, so I couldn't play. When you're trying to move, you can't play because an injury or whatever else can scupper everything. I wanted to leave so it was normal for me not to be on the pitch. Beyond that, it's the manager's decision. He's the one who decides what's best for the group," said Aurier as reported by Football London.
Aurier missed Tottenham’s pre-season as he was thought of trying to engineer a move away from the North London club and was linked with a move to both Spain and Italy. The Ivorian right-back joined Spurs in 2017 for a fee of £23 million but has only made 25 appearances for the club in that two-year spell. The 26-year-old has never been able to get a good run with the first team, with his growth being hampered by a series of serious injuries.
"Like I've said, the season is long so we'll try and be better going forward and for what comes next. That desire to leave, I think it's a bit normal. I'm an important player of the national team. I'm not 20 anymore and I need to play, to be happy," concluded the Ivorian.