Tottenham defender Serge Aurier claims he was in 'advanced negotiations' with Barcelona... but they deny meeting former PSG star

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Tottenham defender Serge Aurier has claimed he came close to securing a move to Barcelona in the summer but labelled concerns about his reputation has reasoning for the breakdown.

The Ivorian joined Mauricio Pochettino's side from Paris Saint-Germain in the summer, with Spurs keen on acquiring a suitable replacement for the departed Kyle Walker.

However, according to Four Four Two, Spurs wasn't his first choice as the full back reflected on the 'very advanced negotiations' he found himself in with the Spanish giants, a claim Barcelona now deny.

Serge Aurier has revealed he came close to a switch to Barcelona before joining Tottenham

'I think my reputation made four or five big European sides afraid,' The 24-year-old said speaking to French news association Canal Plus.

'I was negotiating with Barcelona, very advanced negotiations. And Barcelona's people were not sure if I came here things would be different.'

The defender's claims of advanced talks seem misplaced, however, with Spanish news agency Sport reporting representatives at the Nou Camp have denied a meeting with the defender ever took place.

The former Paris Saint-Germain defender claims a deal fell through due to his reputation

'We never sat down with the player or his representative, they wanted to sit down with us but we never did anything,' a Barcelona spokesperson said.

The grey area surrounding the Barcelona switch aside, Aurier's life in the Premier League has been met by mixed reviews.

Aurier has come under fire from the media as well as ex-professionals for his attitude on the pitch, with fellow Ivorian Didier Drogba telling him to 'grow up'. 

Meanwhile the La Liga giants have denied having a meeting with Aurier despite his claims

Despite criticisms, he has Pochettino's trust, for now, as he has found himself in regular rotations with Kieran Trippier in the boss' side.

With eight appearances so far - five Premier League and three Champions League - Aurier is adamant his choice was the correct one.

'It was the right choice (to leave),' he added. 'After a while, I did not feel comfortable with the media.

'For me, it was never going to end. After a while, I felt like a prisoner, with a camera on my back.

'By staying in France, I would have never washed this image.'