Serge Aurier has become Nottingham Forest’s 22nd signing of the summer, with the free agent joining up with Steve Cooper’s side after being released by Villarreal.
The right-back who Jose Mourinho famously admitted to being afraid of due to his potential to concede a penalty made 24 appearances for the La Liga side last season.
He featured in both legs of their Champions League semi-final tie with Liverpool but found himself surplus to requirements in the summer.
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Nevertheless, Villarreal boss Unai Emery has always been a staunch supporter of the Ivory Coast international having had him under his wing at both Paris Saint-Germain and the Spanish club.
Aurier won three trophies with Emery at PSG including the Coupe de France in 2017 and eight in all, prompting interest from Barcelona.
“Aurier is very good, young, with a lot of potential,” was Emery’s assessment at the time.
Aurier eventually sealed a £23m switch to Tottenham where he spent four years, clocking up more than 100 appearances and featuring in the squad that reached the 2019 Champions League final.
His contract was terminated ahead of the 2021/22 campaign, with Emery reuniting with the defender on the basis his “maturity has grown”.
“We sign people and I sign the footballer knowing what the person is like,” said Emery in October.
“He is a boy with a good heart. I think that with his maturity has grown and we are going to take advantage of that.”
Injury problems hampered his time with the Yellow Submarine but Aurier is still only 29 and has time to deliver on Jose Mourinho’s hopes for him when the pair first spoke at Tottenham.
Despite his later public criticisms, Mourinho reportedly told Aurier that by being more focused on and off the pitch, he would be one of the best defenders in the world.
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