Former Cote d’Ivoire international Serge Aurier is in advanced discussions over a move to Montigny-en-Gohelle, which would see the experienced defender play in Regional 2, the eighth level of the French football pyramid.
Aurier is currently a free agent and could join the Pas-de-Calais club in a recruitment move that would represent a major coup for a team competing at that level. According to La Voix du Nord, talks between the player and Montigny-en-Gohelle have progressed significantly.
No agreement has yet been confirmed, but the discussions are understood to be at an advanced stage. If completed, the transfer would take Aurier into a very different environment from the one in which he has spent much of his career.
The 32-year-old has played at the highest levels of the game, including in Ligue 1 and the Premier League. His career has included several top-level experiences, as well as international football with Cote d’Ivoire.
A move to Montigny-en-Gohelle would therefore mark an unexpected new chapter for Aurier. Rather than continuing at one of Europe’s leading professional clubs, the former international defender could soon be competing in Regional 2.
The proposed switch would also attract considerable attention because of the contrast between Aurier’s background and the level at which Montigny-en-Gohelle currently plays. The club’s pursuit of a player with experience of elite domestic and international football would amount to a particularly high-profile signing for a team in the eighth tier.
Aurier is reported to be without a contract, allowing him to consider a move outside the professional game. The discussions with the northern French club are expected to determine whether he takes up what would be one of the most surprising challenges of his career.
Montigny-en-Gohelle is based in the Pas-de-Calais, in northern France, and its interest in Aurier has emerged as the defender weighs his next step. For now, the player remains in talks with the club, with an arrival possible in the coming weeks.
The potential transfer illustrates the unusual turns a football career can take after years spent competing at the highest level. Aurier could soon exchange Ligue 1 and Premier League football for Regional 2, but the move would give Montigny-en-Gohelle a signing likely to have a significant impact beyond the club itself.