Mauricio Pochettino has given the green light for Danny Rose to leave Tottenham before the European window shuts at the end of the month, according to the Mirror.
The newspaper claim the Spurs boss has frozen out the England international, 28, and no longer sees him as part of his first team plans.
The Mirror report Ben Davies is Pochettino’s first choice at left-back and the manager sees versatile centre-back Jan Vertonghen and rising star full-back Kyle Walker-Peters as the alternative options to the Welshman.
Good move for Tottenham?
Not really. Davies may be the new first choice at left-back but he is not a superior player to Rose. The Wales international is a solid defender and has improved massively in the last two seasons, but he lacks the vim and vigour of the Englishman, who looked the best left-back in Europe until he suffered a serious knee injury at Sunderland in January of last year. Sure, Rose has not hit the same heights since and he wrecked his relationship with much of the Tottenham fanbase with his ill-conceived comments about the club’s transfer policy last summer. But, aged 28, he is at his peak and should be starring in the first team rather than being sold to a big-spending European club.
This Is Futbol rating 3/10
Likely to happen?
Given that 21-year-old Walker-Peters, who can play at both left and right-back, has made rapid progress in recent times and was handed a five-year deal in May, it appears that the foundations have been laid for Rose’s exit. No club is going to spend £50million on Rose after a mixed 18 months – Spurs may have to accept £20million less – but a departure, possibly on loan, now looks more likely than not.
This Is Futbol rating 7/10