Tottenham defender Danny Rose reportedly close to surprise move to Genoa

Well, this transfer destination has kind of come out of left field.

According to the PA news agency, frustrated Tottenham defender Danny Rose is close to a move to Serie A side Genoa. PA, the UK’s national news and sport agency, isn’t sure of whether the transfer will be a permanent one or just a loan, but it sure seems like it’s happening.

Rose has largely been out of favor since Jose Mourinho took over for Mauricio Pochettino in November of 2019. The left back’s complaints have been in the news lately as a recent episode of the Amazon documentary “All Or Nothing: Tottenham Hotspur” showed Rose speaking to Mourinho last winter about why he wasn’t playing.

Some fans have reacted negatively to this clip, as Rose ends the discussion by saying he will speak to Daniel Levy, but speaking to Levy is precisely the way that Rose would have to seek a move elsewhere. He eventually moved to Newcastle, where he spent the second half of last season on loan.

Rose just turned 30 this summer, and he’s now a few years removed from when he was at his peak for Spurs. During the prime days of Pochettino’s reign, Rose was arguably the best left back in the Premier League. When he played last season for Tottenham, he didn’t do very well.

Despite all that, Genoa could be a good move for the England international. It’s a step down from Spurs (Genoa finished 17th last year in Italy), so it could be an opportunity for Rose to play a lot more than he has been. His last appearance for Tottenham was the 7-2 drubbing at the hands of Bayern Munich back in January.

It’s unfortunate that Rose’s time at Spurs is coming to an end in such a way. Over the summer he spoke about wanting to play one more time in front of the Tottenham fans to say goodbye to them, but it doesn’t look like that will happen, unless he’s playing for the opposing team.

Rose has faced significant criticism from some sections of the fan base, but it’s never really been deserved. He’s someone who isn’t afraid to speak his mind, which is something that should be encouraged in a world where athletes are sometimes expected to be like robots who mutter the same cliches in every interview and media appearance. Rose made reasonable complaints about the club’s recruitment a few years ago, and he has also been incredibly brave to speak up about the racism he has faced in England on and off the pitch, as well as his own struggles with mental health.

You can laugh at him for the clip in the documentary where he is asking Levy about a move to Milan, but that’s being unfair. This is a player who has been at the club since he was 17. He’s had some tremendous moments on the pitch and is an honest man off of it.

If this move goes through, I’ll remember him fondly and I hope other Spurs fans will as well.