Jose Mourinho is reportedly urging Manchester United to step up their pursuit of Danny Rose and table a bid for the English defender in January.
According to a report in The Sun, Jose Mourinho is eager to secure the services of Danny Rose in the winter transfer window. The Manchester United manager has asked the club’s board to table a bid for the Tottenham left-back, who is a long-term target.
Rose has evolved into one of the best left-backs in the Premier League over the last few years, having long been considered as someone who was dangerous going forward, but not one who could defend well. Under Mauricio Pochettino though, he has gone on to become a core member for both club and country.
However, his Tottenham future has come under a cloud since his explosive comments on pay disparity, and it has also affected his present situation in Pochettino’s side. Rose has made just eight appearances in all competitions since returning from a knee injury in October, with reports that the Spurs boss is ready to sell him.
Rose does not have a dearth of interest in him either, with Manchester United reportedly in their pursuit for several months now. Jose Mourinho is eager to bolster his squad in the winter transfer window, and left-back is one slot where he is looking to add to his options.
Danny Rose is on Manchester United transfer radar as Jose Mourinho urges the club’s board to make the £50m signing.(the sun) pic.twitter.com/JskkEQsnwR
— RumorsTransfers 24/7 (@rumorstransfers) January 4, 2018
The Manchester United boss currently has just Luke Shaw as a natural left-back in his squad, with the likes of Ashley Young, Marcos Rojo, Daley Blind and Matteo Darmian deployed as makeshift options in the youngster’s stead over the last 18 months.
Among the aforementioned players, only Young has managed to step up and the fact that he is on the wrong side of 30 makes the need to sign a left-back an urgent one for Manchester United. And although Shaw is looking like he’s trying to resurrect his career at Old Trafford, he still has some way to go before getting into Mourinho’s good books.
With the scenario not being certain, the Manchester United manager is desperate to sign a left-back in January to have two quality options in the best possible scenario, making Rose a viable target. There are a couple of stumbling blocks in the club’s pursuit of the 27-year-old though.
Firstly, they will need to shell out £50 million to secure his services. Additionally, Rose would be ineligible to play in the Champions League, having already represented Tottenham in the competition, although that should not be a problem considering Mourinho can use Young and Shaw instead.
Finally, Tottenham would be willing to sell Rose if they can sign a replacement, with Fulham defender Ryan Sessegnon being their top target. Mourinho though, is eager to sign Rose this month and has urged the Manchester United board to table an initial bid for the player.
It now remains to be seen if Manchester United can indeed manage to secure the services of Rose in the winter transfer window, or if they are forced to wait until the summer to make a move for a left-back.
