Tottenham terminate Serge Aurier's contract

Tottenham have terminated Serge Aurier's contract amid interest in the Ivorian from Qatar and Russia.

The 28-year-old has fallen further down the pecking order at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium following the arrival of Emerson Royal from Barcelona, in a deal worth up to €30m.

Japhet Tanganga and Matt Doherty are also preferred right-back options for Nuno Espirito Santo, who took charge in the summer, and Aurier has ended his contract in north London 12 months early.

The club and the player mutually agreed to terminate his deal, with the defender moving on to 'a new challenge'.

In a statement on the club's official website, the Ivorian said: “I have really enjoyed my time at Spurs and would like to thank the Club and the fans, but I feel now is the right time for me to move onto a new challenge.”

French journalist Fabrice Hawkins (per GFFN) reports that Aurier is in talks with Qatari side Al-Rayyan and an unnamed Russian club over a free transfer now he has got his wish and seen his contract in north London terminated.

Signed from PSG for £23m four years ago, Aurier has never fully settled at Tottenham, with his most consistent campaign coming during 2019/20. He made 42 appearances in all competitions that season, but played just half of Spurs' Premier League games last year.

He was also subject to fierce criticism from former head coach Jose Mourinho, who was shown to be unimpressed with his defensive positioning and awareness during the club's now famed 'All or Nothing' documentary that aired on Amazon Prime.