Nottingham Forest are reportedly closing in on securing a transfer for former Tottenham Hotspur defender Serge Aurier.

What's the news?

According to a recent report from Sky Sports, the Midlands club are close to signing the right-back, who will apparently sign a two-year contract at the City Ground before the transfer window closes.

During his four years with Spurs, the full-back scored eight goals and provided 17 assists in 110 appearances across all competitions.

After leaving the north London club last summer, the Ivory Coast international then joined Villarreal on a one-year deal.

Imagine him & Lodi

His final Premier League season at Spurs saw the defender end the campaign with the second-highest number of successful tackles (38) and pressures in the defensive third of the pitch (210) at the club. This highlights the defensive capabilities that he has and how tough an opponent he can be.

He also racked up the joint-highest number of defensive actions which led to a shot at goal (three), showing how his work off the ball can quickly turn into attacking opportunities for his team.

Hailed as a "special" person by former Spurs manager Jose Mourinho, Aurier could help Steve Cooper to form a deadly full-back duo in his Forest team following the recent arrival of Brazilian left-back Renan Lodi on loan from Atletico Madrid.

With only three Atletico players delivering more crosses than Lodi (41) in La Liga last season, this highlights the attacking prowess that he can offer to the Reds on the left flank, whereas Aurier could be the more defensive option on the right.

Either way, with both the Brazilian and the 29-year-old having experience of what it's like to play in Europe, and taking into account their individual attributes, this could make for a very exciting full-back pairing at Forest if they can make Aurier their 19th signing of the summer transfer window.

Also, the experience that the Ivorian already has of playing in the Premier League - which could be a very tempting proposition for him to reprise - should make it easier for him to settle into Cooper's setup, making a move for him not only a good one financially but also from a footballing aspect.