Danny Murphy has lauded the work done on deadline day by Tottenham by giving his opinion on signings Serge Aurier and Fernando Llorente.
Right-back Aurier was signed for around £23million from French giants Paris Saint-Germain while Spurs beat Chelsea to the signature of former Swansea striker Fernando Llorente.
Former Tottenham midfielder Murphy claimed in his London Evening Standard column that Llorente is the perfect back-up to Harry Kane, while Aurier’s stamina and physique make him perfect for English football.
“Llorente should be excellent back-up for Harry Kane but, if Tottenham are chasing the game, they could play together,” Murphy said.
“Spurs face a lot of defensively minded teams so Llorente will allow them to get balls into the box from wide – and there is nothing wrong with playing that way when required.
“I also like the look of Serge Aurier. He has been a decent full-back and is an excellent athlete, so he should be able to cope with the physical side of English football.”
Mauricio Pochettino also oversaw deals for defenders Davinson Sanchez and Juan Foyth, as well as goalkeeper Paulo Gazzaniga who reunited with Pochettino following their time together at Southampton.
Aurier comes in for Kyle Walker, who joined Manchester City earlier in the summer for a huge fee of £54million while Vincent Janssen’s form convinced Pochettino to sign a proven Premier League striker in Llorente.
Foyth and Gazzaniga are unlikely to make their first Spurs appearance against Everton on September 9, but Sanchez, Aurier and Llorente could start as Pochettino looks to kickstart Spurs’ 2017-18 campaign.
OPINION
Llorente is edging towards the end of his career at 32 years of age and although he scored an impressive 15 goals in 33 Premier League games, the Spaniard is unlikely to reach such a figure as he continues to lose a yard of pace. Janssen could look to put the nightmare of 2016-17 behind him and look to reignite his career at Spurs and Llorente must prove his worth early on in his career or he could lose his place in the side behind Kane. However, Aurier is a much better signing if Pochettino can coach the hothead well.