Spurs complete deals for Aurier and Llorente

LONDON: Ivorian right-back Serge Aurier and Spain striker Fernando Llorente have joined Tottenham Hotspur from Paris Saint-Germain and Swansea City respectively, Spurs announced on Thursday.

Spurs are reported to have paid PSG around £23 million (RM127 million) to sign 24-year-old Aurier, who won two Ligue 1 titles during his three years in Paris, on a five-year contract.

The deal was held up as Spurs’ request for a work permit was complicated by the suspended two-month prison sentence Aurier received after an assault on a police officer outside a Paris nightclub in May last year.

Aurier’s conviction for elbowing a police officer meant he was barred from entering the United Kingdom by the British authorities for PSG’s Champions League game against Arsenal last November.

Aurier, capped 40 times by Ivory Coast, began his career with French club Lens and spent two and a half seasons at Toulouse before joining PSG in July 2014.

During his time at Parc des Princes, he also won three French Cups and three French League Cups.

At Spurs he will fill the void left by England right-back Kyle Walker’s £45 million move to Manchester City.

He can also play at centreback.

Late in the day, Tottenham announced the signing of Spanish World Cup winner Llorente, who arrives from Swansea City for a reported fee of £12 million to provide competition for Harry Kane.

The 32-year-old former Athletic Bilbao, Juventus and Sevilla target man has signed a two-year contract.

Aurier and Llorente join Colombian defender Davinson Sanchez, a club-record £42 million recruit from Ajax, back-up goalkeeper Paulo Gazzanigga and Argentinian youngster Juan Foyth in joining Spurs during the transfer window. AFP