Could Danny Rose do Leeds a favour by joining Everton this summer?

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Leeds United are facing a fight to hold onto their exciting left-back Tom Pearce this summer, with Everton keen on the youngster.

When Leeds fans consider the academy graduates that they one day dream of seeing return to Elland Road after enjoying superb careers in the Premier League – perhaps to help end the Whites’ own exile from the top flight – it seems fair to say that the likes of James Milner and Fabian Delph are amongst those mentioned most frequently, while Danny Rose is perhaps a player who gets fewer mentions than someone of his calibre should.

While the Leeds fans got to see Milner and Delph shine in the Whites first-team before they departed, the closest Rose got to the senior side before he moved to Spurs in 2007 was one appearance on the substitutes’ bench in the season that Leeds were relegated from the Championship.

He may not have made an impact for Leeds while he was on the club’s books, but perhaps he may about to do his old side a favour amid reports from The Sun over the weekend linking him with a potential £40 million move to Everton.

The Toffees are clearly keen to strengthen their left-back options this summer with The Sun suggesting that Rose is a key target, while the same publication (13/05; page 63) suggested that the Premier League side were interested in bringing Tom Pearce back to Goodison Park following his emergence into Leeds’ first-team towards the end of this past season.

The Sun on Sunday (27/05; page 65) more recently reported that Pearce has just signed a new contract at Elland Road yet could still be sold by Leeds despite his impressive form for Paul Heckingbottom’s side.

Of course, Everton are not eyeing Rose and Pearce for the same place in the pecking order, but with Leighton Baines already in the club’s ranks – and set to stay, according to BBC Sport – the Toffees do not necessarily need to sign both men. Baines could remain first-choice for the time-being if Pearce is signed, while he would surely be demoted to understudy if Rose joined from Tottenham.

His presence in the squad certainly hints that if the Toffees pull off the £40 million deal for Rose, they have little need to get Pearce in this summer, especially as he has reportedly just signed a new contract.

So while Rose never got the chance to impress the fans while he was on Leeds’ books, perhaps he may be about to endear himself to the supporters by helping the Whites keep hold of one of their brightest prospects by deciding to make the switch to Goodison Park.