With just one week to go until the transfer window closes, Tottenham still have much to do.

Mauricio Pochettino has expressed his desire for four signings and, with the first two arriving Wednesday, that leaves another two -- possibly Juan Foyth and Serge Aurier, and Ross Barkley has also been a target all summer.

There is likely to be at least one departure as well, with reserve defender Kevin Wimmer seemingly weighing up his options.

However, Spurs must not allow any more key players through the exit door -- including Danny Rose, even though his outspoken interview with a national newspaper soured the mood and raised so many questions earlier this month.

ESPN reported on Tuesday that the left-back's agent was due to hold talks with chairman Daniel Levy on Wednesday.

There is interest from Manchester United and, despite Pochettino's public show of forgiveness, his relationship with Rose is thought to have deteriorated.

Many fans also have a dim view of the England international at the moment, and some probably want him gone.

The thought might have crossed Pochettino's mind, too. After all, the culture and atmosphere in the dressing room are of paramount importance to the Argentine, and he would have been highly unimpressed to see Rose literally saying that he is "not singing off the same hymn sheet" as some of his teammates.

Nonetheless, it would be wise for Spurs' manager to leave the door to reconciliation open. Tottenham maintain Rose will not be sold, and that is the right stance.

For one thing, the club are unlikely to get a better left-back, especially with their current wage structure. While Kyle Walker is replaceable, Rose has an additional end product to match his pace and defensive solidity. Last season he scored two goals and set up another three before his injury in January.

Spurs should resist any thoughts of selling Danny Rose despite his comments expressing a desire to leave. Getty Images

Then there is the vital issue of precedent.

The big problem facing Tottenham is how to keep their best players, who could earn more elsewhere, and there have been some mixed messages.

Last September, on the day Walker became the seventh squad member to sign a new contract, Pochettino said: "When you need to convince the players to stay here, it is impossible to get success in the future. They need to ask us to stay here."

Eight months later, chairman Daniel Levy seemingly admitted that some players might need to be kept against their will.

The minutes of his meeting with the Supporters' Trust in May state: "DL [Levy] said all players were under contracts, contracts they were happy to sign at the time.

"They would be expected to honour those contracts. They wouldn't have had a reduction if things had gone badly."

So which is it? Are Spurs' players free to leave whenever they get a better offer or not?

The answer is obvious, but Walker's departure might have intrigued a few players, especially when Pochettino stated that the right-back's desire to move north and be closer to his family was a key factor in the amicable discussions about his sale.

Rose was clearly listening and, sure enough, he stated in his controversial interview: "I will say this, too -- I will play up north. I moved away from home at 16. I have been away for over 10 years now and I don't get to see my mum that often."

This desire to return to the north seems to be catching -- perhaps "Game of Thrones" and Jon Snow are to blame -- but Rose could justifiably ask why Walker has been allowed his lucrative move to Manchester City, on the basis of being closer to his family, while he is being held down south.

Precedents are dangerous things, and it would be very shortsighted if Tottenham set another one by selling Rose because of his inflammatory comments. It would simply reward bad behaviour, give him precisely what he wanted and show others the way to the exit door.

In future, wantaway Spurs players who are struggling to get their desired move would simply phone a newspaper and cause a stir, banking on the fact that their bosses would not stand for it, and would again cut off their noses to spite their face.

Spurs will not be doing that in that instance -- so what now for Rose? Will he sulk, be a disruptive influence and give Pochettino problems?

That seems unlikely when there is a World Cup at the end of his season and the 27-year-old has every chance of being England's first-choice left-back again.

That should ensure he is fully motivated and incentivised, and the hope will be that Spurs then continue to progress over the next nine months and win that elusive trophy.

There will still be wealthier rivals of course, but a winner's medal might just dissuade Rose from the notion that riches and glory are both likelier in the north of England than the north of London.