Leeds United have been linked with re-signing a couple of former players since earning their Premier League return.
The prospect of bringing James Milner back to Elland Road is regularly being touted, while the Daily Star claimed this week that Lewis Cook is also on United’s radar this summer.
And with Milner’s age and Kostas Tsimikas’s arrival at Liverpool, and Cook’s relegation with Bournemouth, both are pretty realistic prospects.
But there’s a third player who Leeds could and should be looking at – and he might be the best idea of all.
Newcastle United are no longer exploring the idea of keeping Danny Rose at St James’s Park [Shields Gazette] and with Tottenham Hotspur boss Jose Mourinho not keen to use him in North London, the 30-year-old is almost certainly available for transfer this summer.
Leeds boss Marcelo Bielsa has some good left-backs in the form of Stuart Dallas and Ezgjan Alioski, but being brilliant in the Championship doesn’t mean much in the Premier League and the Argentine coach would be wise to sign a player proven to thrive at this level.
And with 194 top-flight appearances under his belt, the Spurs defender – who began his career in West Yorkshire before leaving in 2007 – might be ideal for Bielsa.
Rose is only earning around £60,000 per week at Tottenham and with one year left on his contract, United really wouldn’t need to break the bank here.
Bielsa needs Rose more than he would need Milner – who turns 35 in January – or Cook so it’ll be interesting to see if the Yorkshire side make an enquiry.
The veteran coach is fiercely loyal to his troops, so he might not be keen on the idea of ousting Dallas in light of his heroics last term, but the Northern Ireland international definitely needs better competition than Alioski or Leif Davis and maybe, just maybe, Rose makes sense.
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