COMMENT: Okay, can we cut to the chase? All these rumours swirling around Tottenham. The mass exodus. Can we just blame Danny Rose and be done with it?

What was he thinking? Rose didn't just go off script, he wrote an entire new screenplay. To a man, Spurs players had made it clear: we're all in this together. We're united. We're building something. We know we can win titles.

But then came Rose - and his brutal honesty.

"A player might feel that he's done enough at Tottenham and might fancy a change," said the England left-back.

"Or you might feel that Tottenham is the 'nearly club'. We nearly win the Premier League, we nearly win the FA Cup semi-finals, and you might choose to move on."

And with that, he was off. Well, according to Fleet Street that is. Within 24 hours, Rose was on his way to Manchester United. Or was that Manchester City? Liverpool? In any case, the lad from Yorkshire was returning north.

And he wasn't the only one. Eric Dier would also be going to Old Trafford. Kyle Walker to City. Even Dele Alli's future was getting another run through the press.

Spurs. Everyone's second team. The most exciting young group of players in the country. On the verge of greatness. Yet, instead, they're now on the brink of being ripped apart.

This wasn't supposed happen. In the afterglow of a superbly organised farewell to White Hart Lane. Swamped by fans in Hong Kong. Confirmation of a record new shirt deal. It was meant to be a good news week. Yet now the squad was being picked off..?

Erm, can we all just calm down? Dier and Alli penned new contracts this season. As did Jan Vertonghen, Christian Eriksen and Harry Kane. Yes, Walker is likely to go. And the good money is on City.

But Walker will leave Spurs as a reserve - cover for Kieran Trippier, that is Kieran Trippiernow of England. It shouldn't be lost on Spurs fans that while they'll raise £40 million-plus from Walker's sale, Trippier - via Burnley - has made it in London after rejection by City.

So what about Rose? Why talk like that? Why, when in the same week even Toby Alderweireld, still waiting on a new deal, is championing the team's title potential, invite the controversy?

Well, to be fair, not all the interview with 5 Live made it to print. And amongst his honest and generous answers, Rose also offered a little bit of advice to chairman Daniel Levy and the Spurs board.

And it was a suggestion most Spurs fans would happily get behind. It was time for Tottenham to push the boat out, he argued. This summer was the moment to bring in a "marquee" name.

Now if Rose is talking like that, you can be sure it's a regular topic of conversation inside Spurs Lodge. Eriksen, Kane, Alli... they could all earn much more elsewhere. They could basically name their price. But they've thrown in with Spurs. With Mauricio Pochettino. And with Levy. It's now time for the chairman and the old "boxer" in the Bahamas to stump up. Or better yet, punch up.

This transfer window, Spurs need to punch up. They need to raid a Barcelona for Andres Iniesta. A Real Madrid for Karim Benzema. A Bayern Munich for Franck Ribery. They have Champions League football. They have London as a location. And in Joe Lewis they have a backer worth over £4.5 billion. There is no reason why Tottenham cannot be picking off those experienced, influential gold-plated stars about to become available across Europe.

When you consider the influence Zlatan Ibrahimovic had on United's season, what value would Iniesta bring to Pochettino's young locker room? What about the impact of Ribery or Arjen Robben? Benzema alongside Kane - where could that take Spurs?

For a club of Tottenham's status - today - this shouldn't be fantasy football. There's no reason for £400 million warchests like at United, nor even £200 million as mooted at Chelsea. But Levy and Lewis do need to go the extra mile to find those one or two experienced players capable of improving upon what Pochettino has built.

What's more, they owe it to the players. Rose wasn't talking down the "nearly club", he was simply conveying what is being felt inside the dressing room.

This young group are seeking some inspiration. A marquee name. A sign from the higher ups that they share the same ambition as the players.

They've shown their belief in Poch's project. It's now time for the board to do the same.