Why Tottenham Would Do Well To Snub The Chance To Sign Luke Shaw
Luke Shaw is reportedly interested in moving to Tottenham Hotspur to link up with his old manager Mauricio Pochettino. The duo actually go way back since they worked together at Southampton before Pochettino left St. Mary’s to join Tottenham in May 2014. Incidentally, Shaw moved to Manchester United later that summer. While the pair was at Southampton they helped guide the club to an 8th-placed finish in the Premier League.
Shaw’s Manchester United career has been marred with a lot of ups and downs. He started out strongly and was looked at as the ultimate solution to United’s left-back problems. However, an injury saw him get sidelined for almost a year. Jose Mourinho made do with makeshift options, but even after Shaw being deemed fit to play, the defender has not received enough game time yet.
People expected him to start against Swansea City in the Carabao Cup encounter but that did not happen. Since he is struggling for first-team football at Old Trafford, reports have linked Shaw with a move to the North London club, and the 22-year-old has hinted he would be open to a reunion with his former manager.
A report by The Mirror suggests that United could be considering a move to offer cash plus Luke Shaw to secure the signing of Danny Rose. Things have not been all that great for the Spurs player either. His explosive interview where he questioned the club’s wage policy in the summer blew out of proportion. When the player got injured, he was ably replaced by Ben Davies, who has proven to be a revelation in the left wing-back role.
However, should Tottenham really take up the offer? Logically speaking, the answer is a no.
Regardless of what Rose said in the interview, the fact still remains that the player is far more consistent than Luke Shaw has ever been. Moreover, having two options in the form of Ben Davies and Danny Rose seems better than having a player who has been out of action for the last one year. Not only will it take time for Shaw to adjust, it will also take a lot of time for him to get back to his old form. And can Spurs afford to take that risk at a time like this? Most certainly not.
Tottenham have come close to winning the title twice but eventually they had to settle for less. After crashing out of the Carabao Cup, Pochettino needs to win trophies to show that he can produce tangible results as well. Thus, maybe if the situation was different, Shaw could have made the move. Now, however, Tottenham simply cannot afford to take the risk.