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Jose Mourinho has prioritised the recruitment of a starting left back as he seeks to eliminate clear weaknesses in Manchester United's squad ahead of his second Premier League campaign at the club. England international Danny Rose is one of the options under consideration.

Faced with entering a season in which he is prepared to deploy wing-backs on a more frequent basis than previously in his managerial career, Mourinho wants to sign a player of Champions League quality to hold down a starting role on the left side of United's defence.

The Portuguese coach shifted left-back duties between Daley Blind, Matteo Darmian, Marcos Rojo, Luke Shaw and Ashley Young last season depending on match strategy and form.

Though Mourinho is examining options outside England for the position, the most accomplished left back available on this summer's market, Benjamin Mendy, has already been recruited by Manchester City for a record fee and there are few obvious alternatives. Domestically, there is a strong interest in Rose, who has encouraged United's overtures.

(Image: Clive Mason / Getty)

Rose has also been approached by Chelsea - under severe pressure from Antonio Conte to deliver several additional signings before the transfer window closes - and City, where Pep Guardiola asked to be provided with four elite-level full backs this summer. Yesterday, the England international invited a national newspaper to discuss the subject of his future and Tottenham Hotspur's recruitment policy with him.

In a remarkably frank interview, Rose unfavourably compared Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy's squad building strategy to that of the London club's title rivals, arguing that “we do need one or two top signings to strengthen the squad, I’m just not buying the idea that we don’t need anyone”.

(Image: Getty)

“I am not saying buy 10 players,” Rose told The Sun. “I’d love to see two or three — and not players you have to Google and say, ‘Who’s that?’ I mean well-known players.”

Rose signed a new contract last September, which runs to 2021 and it is understood to pay him £65,000 a week, placing the left back near the top of Tottenham's tightly-controlled wage scale. He was subsequently invited by former White Hart Lane coach Andre Villas-Boas at Shanghai SIPG, ultimately rejecting an after-tax offer of €17million a year from the Chinese Super League club.

(Image: AFP/Getty Images)

At the end of January, the Yorkshire-born defender suffered medial ligament damage to his left knee, requiring further surgery to resolve the injury in May. Rose says the long rehabilitation process led him to consider his future within the game and the importance of maximising the value of his next playing contract.

“I am opinionated and I might not have long left in football,” said the 27-year-old. “One thing is for sure, for the rest of this career, I will play this game how I want to play it and, while I am not going to disrespect anyone, I am going to voice my opinions.

“At my age, and having missed six months with injury, I have been thinking about this quite a lot. I am reaching my peak and have probably only got one big contract left in me. Time is running out and I do want to win trophies. I don’t want to play football for 15 years and not have one trophy or one medal.

“Sorry, that’s not what I am about. I wouldn’t be happy with that. I want to win something. I will say this too: I will play up north. I don’t know exactly when, but I will get back up north and play some football somewhere. I moved away from home at 16. I have been away for over ten years now and I don’t get to see my mum that often. I am going to make it my priority before I retire to play football up there.

(Image: Man City/Getty)

“My short-term focus is to get back to playing like last year and if I do that the long-term will take care of itself. I’m not saying I want out, but if something came to me that was concrete, I’d have no qualms about voicing my opinions to anyone at the club.”

Levy has a proud record of obtaining inflated transfer fees for the sale of senior players, and last month sold right back Kyle Walker (a close friend of Rose's) to City for a then-record initial sum of £45m. Tottenham already have an experienced replacement on the left side of their defence in Wales international Ben Davies.

(Image: Getty)

Chelsea have made several unsuccessful attempts to extract Alex Sandro from Juventus, and must also stretch their transfer budget to recruit at right back, centre back, midfield and in attack if they are to satisfy Conte's increasingly vocal demands for a radically-expanded squad. For Rose to move to City, he would have to accept going head-to-head with Mendy for the starter's slot.

At Old Trafford that role is open, with United also holding the option of offering Shaw as part payment for Rose. The 22-year-old Shaw has frustrated Mourinho with his application and attitude, yet could suit Levy's preference for hiring young domestic talent with future resale value.