In search of regular first-team football, Danny Rose made a loan move to Newcastle during the January transfer window.
Bearing in mind he made just 10 starts for Tottenham during the first half of the campaign, and with Euro 2020 just around the corner, it was a choice that made perfect sense. He has already started twice for the Magpies since making the switch to St. James’ Park on the left side of Steve Bruce’s back four.
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With less than 18 months left on his contract in north London, though, the summer will represent something of a crossroads for the England international and his future is likely to depend on his performances in the North East. A good spell at Newcastle could see him force his way into Jose Mourinho’s plans, but a failure to make any kind of impression may very well see him thrown on the scrap heap, if he isn’t surplus to requirements already.
But his fate may already be decided.
According to Cadena Cope (via Mundo Deportivo), Spurs are already looking at a potential new left-back. They are reporting that Getafe’s Marc Cucurella, who is on loan from Barcelona, is on their radar. In a complex situation, Getafe will purchase 60% of his rights in the summer for €6m (£5m), with the Blaugrana holding on to the other 40% – he is said to have a release clause of €25m (£21m).
Getafe have been a surprise package in La Liga so far this campaign, currently lying just one point off fourth place. Their success has been based mostly on their sturdy back-line – they have conceded just 25 goals in 25 matches, with only Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid conceding less – and 21-year-old Cucurella has played a big role in that.
He has been included in the starting line-up for every league match to date, managing one goal and four assists in the process.
Rose, who made 22 appearances in the Premier League for Tottenham last term, managed three assists himself. From a creative point of view, Cucurella has a slight advantage over his potential rival – he has averaged 1.4 key passes per match, whilst Rose was only able to muster up one per match during the 2018/19 season. In all fairness, though, the latter has a significant advantage in terms of dribbles, leading with 1.3 compared to 0.7.
From a defensive point of view, it is the younger of the two who leads the way. The Spaniard has averaged 2.1 tackles per game so far this term, whilst the former Leeds United youngster managed 1.9 in the previous campaign.
With an average WhoScored rating of 6.89 compared to the Englishman’s 6.84, the youngster and Rose are evenly matched.
Both are solid defensively and, whilst Cucurella does have the advantage from a key passing point of view, Rose leads the way in terms of dribbles. In the short term, the Getafe man is unlikely to provide anything too different than what is already at Spurs’ disposal, but in the long-term, he has plenty of time to grow and polish his skills.
As Mourinho looks to put his stamp on this side in the summer – his first real opportunity to do so – Cucurella may be one to consider.
Rose has been a loyal servant in north London, making 210 appearances since 2007. However, there must come a point when sentimentality is replaced by realism, and it is unlikely that he has a future at the club.
Cucurella, meanwhile, is just starting out, and has already shown he can play an important role in a team that is fighting for a place in European competition. The time has come to move out with the old and in with the new.