Jose Mourinho might have only been in the Tottenham job for just over a week, but the Portuguese manager is already proving to be an astute acquisition for Spurs.
Two wins on the bounce has seen the mood around Spurs lifted, and players such as Dele Alli and Harry Kane are already showing signs of life with Mourinho at the helm, and so is defender Serge Aurier.
The former PSG right-back has had a mixed time since moving to Tottenham in the summer of 2017, being the subject of criticism from supporters and pundits and this year being linked with a move away from north London with The Sun reporting that AC Milan were interested in the Ivorian international.
Yet after Tuesday night’s game against Olympiakos, it seems like Aurier is here to stay at Spurs after the 26-year-old fullback assisted one and scored another in Tottenham’s 4-2 win in the Champions League, ensuring Mourinho’s side progress to the next round of the competition.
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Football London awarded Aurier a 9/10 rating for his performance against the Greek side, and Rio Ferdinand stated on BT Sport via The Daily Mail that the former Ligue 1 defender has improved since Mourinho’s arrival.
The Manchester United legend said: “When a new manager comes in, there’s sometimes one player who benefits, and at the moment it’s him (Aurier). He was someone we were talking about as a car crash, but he’s stepped up.”
Indeed, Aurier has proven under Mourinho that he is far from a lost cause at Tottenham that some supporters saw the African defender has not too long ago.
And under Mourinho, where Aurier is allowed the freedom to attack down the wing as an advanced fullback, the 26-year-old right-back’s career at Spurs could be about to take off after two years of unimpressive returns.