Tottenham Pair Can’t Be Sold at Any Price

Rumors that Tottenham might be tempted to part with their star full-back duo of Kyle Walker and Danny Rose should remain just that.

The Guardian passes on that Tottenham’s powers that be are being peppered with inquiries about the England internationals, particularly from the two Manchester clubs.

Mauricio Pochettino understands their value on the pitch and thus would be reluctant to see them leave Tottenham. The problem, if there could actually be said to be one, is that so do opposing managers.

Jose Mourinho is said to have convinced Manchester United to part with upwards of £60 million for the pair. As the Guardian points out, that would represent a substaintial profit for Tottenham should they accept the offer.

Such a large amount should not come as a shock to anyone paying attention to the sport in recent seasons. Full-backs — particularly aggressive pseudo-wingers in the style of Walker and Rose — are much in vogue. Everyone is looking for their own Dani Alves or David Alaba or, more recently, Tottenham’s dynamic duo.

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Why that is speaks to a shift in tactics, on which Pochettino’s Tottenham remain on the cutting edge. With Managers increasingly seeking to funnel the direction of the ball to central, dangerous areas, the creation of width is often left to enterprising full-backs.

Credit is due also to the advent of three man defenses and the resultant need for wing-backs. Pochettino’s own experiments with this formation show that Rose and Walker are, if anything, better suited for it than they are a more conventional four-at-the-back setup.

The question for Tottenham — or at least the question for Daniel Levy — is if Walker and Rose’s contributions are worth more or less than the aforementioned £60 million. More precisely, it’s an issue of whether or not the club think they can adequately replace the pair — and fast.

Levy might find reason to think that Spurs can. Kieran Trippier provided two assists against Watford on New Years Day, while Ben Davies capably understudied Rose against Aston Villa on the weekend while also providing a goal.

While those are certainly encouraging signs from Tottenham’s backup full-backs, such anecdotal evidence doesn’t build into a case for them being sufficiently talented to make up for losing both Walker and Rose.

That duo possess rare talents on both sides of the ball. While Trippier might be a slightly more dangerous option in terms of crosses compared to Walker, and Davies might represent a safer defensive choice compared to Rose, neither are as complete as the men they occasionally replace. Thanks in part to Pochettino’s guidance, Walker and Rose are the full-backs this system needs to thrive.

Next: Pochettino Still Pleased Despite Lackluster Tottenham Performance

Pochettino should — and probably already has — made that clear to Levy. There might not be two more irreplaceable players in the squad than Walker and Rose.