According to an article in FourFourTwo Ivory Coast defender Serge Aurier says his treatment in the press in France tarnished his reputation and dashed his dreams of joining Barcelona during the summer.
Aurier endured a troubled time recently with Paris Saint-Germain in Ligue 1 after a plethotra of off the field incidents which at one stage saw him banned by the club and forced to train with the reserves.
The controversial Ivorian was left out after insulting team-mates and former coach Laurent Blanc on social media. He also received a suspended two-month jail sentence for assaulting a police officer outside a Paris nightclub.
He was linked with Spurs all summer but a move only materialised on deadline day after clearance was granted following legal issues and Tottenham swooped following the departure of Kyle Walker to Manchester City.
Aurier was happy to escape the attention but he believes the attention he received in France cost him a chance of playing alongside the likes of Lionel Messi and Andres Iniesta.
The full back said :”I think my reputation made four or five big European sides afraid,” he told Canal Plus.
“I was negotiating with Barcelona, very advanced negotiations. And Barcelona’s people were not sure if I came here things would be different.”
Since his arrival the 24-year-old has made eight appearances in all competitions (to not great effect admittedly), and Aurier hopes to rebuild his reputation in the Premier League.
MORE SPURS STORIES
“It was the right choice [to leave],” he added. “After a while, I did not feel comfortable with the media.
“For me, it was never going to end. After a while, I felt like a prisoner, with a camera on my back.
“By staying in France, I would have never washed this image.”
It’s interesting to hear his viewpoint. He’s come with that bad boy reputation but judging by any coverage he seems to get on with his team mates. His displays have left something to be desired but it is early days and his talent is obvious. Let’s hope he gets a chance to prove himself and but the controversy behind him.
Keep up to date with all the latest Tottenham news and opinion by following SpursWeb’s Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts.
