OPINION
With headlines always dominated by attacking players, it is no surprise that one of the stories of Tottenham Hotspur’s season has gone totally under the radar.
Ben Davies rise from perennial back-up to Spurs’ bona-fide number one left-back has not been widely noted, but will surely have far-reaching consequences this summer.
Former favourite Danny Rose has meanwhile suffered a spectacular fall from grace that has seen him usurped by Davies and make just 13 appearances all season.
While Rose’s struggles to make an impact on the field have clearly been caused by his continuing injury problems, it is his off-field antics that raise most concern.
As reported by the Daily Mail, the 28-year-old’s relationship with Mauricio Pochettino has never recovered from his explosive interview with The Sun last summer.
The interview, in which Rose slams the club’s transfer policy before declaring he wanted to move back up north, has reportedly caused their relationship to remain strained throughout the season, and opens the door to an exit for Rose this summer.
The report raises the possibility of a swap deal with Manchester United for Luke Shaw, which is a deal that no doubt makes sense, but is not the only exit Tottenham should consider for Rose.
The bottom line is that Tottenham must ship Rose off this summer, regardless of where he ends up.
Firstly, the left-sided flyer is obviously causing issues in the dressing room, with his relationship with Pochettino reportedly still on the rocks.
That strained relationship will be having an effect on the rest of the players, who all enjoy a strong bond with the Argentine tactician.
Pochettino is always talking about unity among his players, and it is now clear that Rose is not a part of that.
Secondly, and just as importantly, is the fact that Rose has, quite frankly, been rather poor when he has played this season.
The 27-year-old looks a shadow of his former self after his injury problems, and Davies is quite clearly the better option for Spurs at left-back now.
The Wales international is three years Rose’s junior, and therefore offers a better long-term option for Spurs anyway.
The ideal situation for Spurs would be to offload Rose for a decent fee before re-investing that money into a deal for Fulham flyer Ryan Sessegnon.
A swap deal involved Shaw would also be good, but whatever move they decide to make, there is one constant that is now abundantly clear.
Daniel Levy must wield the axe and offload Rose this summer.