Tottenham defender Aurier's brother shot dead in France

The brother of Tottenham Hotspur's Ivory Coast defender Serge Aurier has been shot dead in France, the Premier League club said on Monday.

The brother, Christopher Aurier, was shot at a nightclub in the early hours of Monday morning in the southern French city of Toulouse, according to La Depeche, a French media outlet.

According to local media reports, Christopher was fatally shot and was hit in the abdomen by a suspect. He was confirmed dead after he was taken to the hospital.

The suspected gunman fled the scene and is being sought by police, according to a French police source.

Christopher was a professional footballer like his brother, they both started their career at Lens. After leaving Lens, Serge Aurier teamed up with Toulouse in 2012 and then joined Paris Saint-Germain, initially on loan before the deal was made permanent.

The 27-year-old Serge joined Premier League club Tottenham in 2017 on a four-and-a-half-year deal and has featured in 54 league games for the club.

Tottenham mourned the demise and has expressed solidarity with Serge.

"The Club is deeply saddened to confirm media reports that Serge Aurier's brother passed away in the early hours of this morning. We are supporting Serge at this difficult time and we ask that the privacy of the player and his family is respected," the club said in a statement.

"Everybody at the club sends their sincerest condolences to Serge and his family. Our thoughts are with them all," it added.

However, it is uncertain that Serge would feature in the match against Newcastle United on Wednesday.