Tottenham can’t afford to sell Danny Rose this summer
Danny Rose may never regain his form from two seasons ago, but Tottenham still can’t afford to sell him this late in the transfer window.
Tottenham fans are on pins and needles about the status of Toby Alderweireld, but they should also be monitoring circumstances regarding Danny Rose. Spurs cannot afford to offload the left back before the summer transfer window slams shut.
Mauricio Pochettino may put more pressure on his fullbacks than any other manager in the Premier League. It’s an absolute necessity that Tottenham have two quality options at both left and right back. No player can stay healthy for an entire season playing every match the way Pochettino desires.
Spurs certainly believe they can rely on Ben Davies to be their starter. He isn’t the dynamic fullback that most fans would like to see on the pitch, but he’s pretty steady. No one should get too concerned about his sloppy play at centre back during this preseason. His struggles have largely been mental. Playing out on the wing is more physically demanding, but it requires less mental acumen than playing in the middle of the pitch.
Unfortunately, Davies is only one player. As we mentioned earlier, Tottenham need two quality left backs to compete on all fronts. Pochettino has attempted to play Kyle Walker-Peters in that spot during the preseason. The young Englishman just doesn’t show the same verve on the left as he does on his natural right side. He just looks awkward on the left trying to play everything back to his stronger right foot.
That’s why keeping Rose isn’t just preferable, it’s a necessity. Pochettino needs a naturally left-sided player to give his team balance on that side of the pitch. Even if, as expected, Spurs shift more to a three-man midfield this year, they’ll still rely on their fullbacks to create width. Walker-Peters cannot do that effectively on the left. Rose isn’t perfect, but he’s the superior option at the moment.
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If Daniel Levy had chosen to offload Rose earlier in the window, there would have been ample time to purchase a competent replacement. With the window nearly shut, it’s too late to accomplish that objective now. Rose must still be a Spurs player when next weekend comes around.