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Manchester United and Manchester City are wasting their time

By Rucker Haringey

MANCHESTER, ENGLAND - DECEMBER 11: Danny Rose of Tottenham Hotspur and Zlatan Ibrahimovic of Manchester United compete for the ball during the Premier League match between Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur at Old Trafford on December 11, 2016 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)
MANCHESTER, ENGLAND - DECEMBER 11: Danny Rose of Tottenham Hotspur and Zlatan Ibrahimovic of Manchester United compete for the ball during the Premier League match between Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur at Old Trafford on December 11, 2016 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images) /
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Neither Manchester United or Manchester City can sign Danny Rose

Danny Rose would make a terrific left back for Manchester United, Manchester City or any number of big European clubs. Unfortunately for the aforementioned Premier League rivals, pursuing the England left back in January would represent a complete waste of time.

Reports from England claim that both Pep Guardiola and Jose Mourinho see Rose as a potential solution for their left fullback problems. The Sunday Mirror even goes so far as to suggest that City will make a £25 million bid for The Tottenham star in January.

There’s only one little problem with that plan. There’s no chance that Mauricio Pochettino is going to let his star left back go in January. Absent some sort of truly massive transfer bid, Rose is going to remain at White Hart Lane for the foreseeable future.

Suffice it to say, £25 million isn’t going to be nearly enough to tempt Spurs to part with Rose. He’s clearly one of Pochettino’s favorite players. Some member of the squad even kid Rose about his relationship with the manager being similar to that of a son’s relationship with their father. That doesn’t sound much like a player who’s angling for a move away from their current club.

Don’t forget that Pochettino put his faith in Rose early in his tenure with Tottenham. Many fans slated Rose’s new contract when news of his signature became public. All Rose has done since then is steadily improve his game to the point that he’s arguably the best left back in all of England. He’s repaid Pochettino’s faith and the two have forged an impressive bond.

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If either United or City really want to break that bond, it’s going to cost them. I suspect Daniel Levy could be tempted to sell Rose, but it might take a bid in excess of £40 million to pry him away from Spurs. I can’t see either Manchester Club being willing to pay that sort of fee for Rose in January.

I can’t blame them for that measure of fiscal frugality either. While I love Rose’s athleticism and competitive spirit, he is not what you’d call a gifted offensive player. If United or City are going to pay that kind of money for a fullback, they are going to want a player who excels on the offensive end of the pitch. Rose just isn’t quite good enough in the opposition’s half to justify such a significant transfer fee.

Both Manchester City and Manchester United may be looking for a new left back in January, but they shouldn’t bother with Danny Rose. He and Mauricio Pochettino will be working together at White Hart Lane for years to come.

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