Rumours of Tottenham full-back Danny Rose signing for Manchester United continue to circulate, but does the 27-year-old really represent value for money?
Manager Jose Mourinho has prioritised adding a left-back to his squad, with Ashley Young currently his preferred choice.
The Red Devils’ boss seems completely unconvinced that Luke Shaw can fill the role, while neither Daley Blind or Matteo Darmian are a natural fit in that position.
Rose has played just twice in the Premier League this term. He started the season injured, but his criticism of Spurs’ transfer policy following the sale of Kyle Walker to Manchester City clearly hasn’t gone down well with manager Mauricio Pochettino.
A move to Old Trafford during the January transfer window is priced at around Evens, but check out this 888sport bonus offer before wagering on whether Rose will head north.
While Rose is a decent enough player, it’s questionable whether the reported £50 million asking price is worth splashing out.
The defender wouldn’t be ineligible for the Champions League this season having already played for Spurs during the group stage and Young’s form surely warrants him retaining his place right now?
Marcos Rojo is another option on the left hand side and the feeling remains that United would be better served looking elsewhere for their future left-back.
Fulham’s Ryan Sessegnon has been touted as a possible replacement for Rose at Spurs, but could he be a better choice for United to nurture in the position?
United were linked with the 17-year-old back in August and he is already firmly established as one of the leading young talents in the English game.
Sessegnon already has 50 appearances for Fulham under his belt and he has represented England at U19 level.
With a ten-year age gap between himself and Rose the youngster appeals as a far more sensible option for United.
A fee of around £25 million might seem a huge outlay for a teenager, although United could recoup some of that by offloading Shaw.
Rose’s outburst during the summer should also send a warning sign to Mourinho. Top pundits Gary Neville and Jamie Carragher both blasted his comments, calling the Spurs man ‘disrespectful’, and it’s debatable whether United should risk introducing that sort of character into their dressing room.
Injuries have also been an issue for Rose in recent times and spending £50 million on a player with so many negatives against him simply makes no sense.
A move for Sessegnon could potentially fill United’s left-back berth for the next 15 years and that could happen for half of what Rose would cost.
On that basis, Mourinho should pull out all the stops to sign the Fulham star.
