Tottenham need to snub Everton’s ambitious transfer offer

Lucas Digne would be a smart purchase for Tottenham, but Spurs cannot afford to send Danny Rose to Everton as part of the deal.

Tottenham are wisely taking a look at strengthening every position on the pitch ahead of next year’s campaign. As such, it makes perfect sense for Spurs to investigate the possibility of poaching Lucas Digne away from Everton. Unfortunately, the Toffees’ demand for Danny Rose to head to Goodison Park in any deal should be a non-starter for Mauricio Pochettino and company.

The Daily Star reports that Everton are willing to engage Tottenham in discussions about a deal that would send Rose and an unspecified amount of transfer cash to Everton in exchange for Digne. In a vacuum that isn’t an unreasonable request, but it’s not something Spurs should consider at this point in their history.

Digne was nothing short of sensational for Everton last season. His Whoscored.com player rating average of 7.36 in 35 Premier League appearances made him the highest rated player at the club. That’s quite an accomplishment for a 25-year-old playing his first Premier League season.

If Digne were to move to Tottenham it’s very probable that he’d replace Rose and Ben Davies as Pochettino’s first choice at the crucial position. The Frenchman has the athleticism to defend all over the pitch as well as the offensive skill to contribute in the final third. He’s really a perfect fullback for Pochettino’s system.

That doesn’t mean Spurs should give Rose up as part of the deal. For whatever the Englishman lacks in talent, he more than makes up for in heart. Tottenham are going to see a lot of squad transition this summer. Keeping an emotional leader like Rose in the locker room will be imperative to keep some sense of continuity in the squad moving forward.

Spurs’ refusal to give up Rose in the deal shouldn’t end negotiations between the two clubs though. It’s very possible that Everton are just trying to float the idea of including Rose to force Tottenham to up their potential transfer offer. Anything under £50 million would be a relative bargain for a player of Digne’s age, quality and experience.

If Everton are truly determined to get a replacement for Digne in the deal then Spurs should consider offering Davies instead. The Welshman is a valuable member of Pochettino’s squad, but he lacks the athleticism to really thrive at Tottenham. Using Davies as a makeweight would be a good compromise between the two Premier League clubs.

In the end, Tottenham fans shouldn’t expect to see Digne playing his football for their beloved Spurs next season. It’s much more likely that Everton resist any reasonable bid for their talented left back.