In the second half of Tottenham Hotspur’s Champions League semi-final second leg against Ajax, Danny Rose was the man who kickstarted the club’s improbable comeback.
Deep in his own half, the England international strode forward with the ball, nutmegged an Ajax player with precision and launched the counterattack that finished with Lucas Moura coolly slipping the ball home to make it 3-1 on aggregate.
Rose was superb all night at left-back, engaging in a fascinating battle with Hakim Ziyech during the tightly-fought match.
But despite his excellent performance, his future at Tottenham is very much in question. Mauricio Pochettino has hinted at a summer clear-out, and The Guardian reported that the 28-year-old is one of the players who may move on from north London at the end of the season.
It would be a grave mistake for Spurs to let Rose leave this summer, as the England international is still an influential member of Pochettino’s squad.
The defender has even directly referenced the reports linking him away from Tottenham, a sign that the uncertainty over his future has affected the defender’s mindset.
“I keep seeing…that I’m being sold, so if that’s the case and it’s going to be my last game for Tottenham against Liverpool, I’m hoping to go out with a bang and lift a trophy,” Rose told The Guardian.
“It’s a Champions League final so individual situations have to take a back seat and you have to put the club first.”
Although Rose has expressed his desire to put the needs of Tottenham first, it is startling to see a player publicly acknowledge the fact that he may be sold. In this respect, Spurs have mismanaged the situation by allowing such uncertainty to fester.
In addition, Tottenham cannot afford to be shipping out quality defenders, considering their past lack of investment and his importance to the team.
Rose will play a key role in Madrid in the final and it should be in Spurs’ best interest to keep him at the club for the foreseeable future.
