Tochukwu Chukwu
The Spurs captain wants to leave the club
English football has been rocked by the news that Harry Kane wants to depart Tottenham Hotspur this summer, but Spurschairman Daniel Levy will not make it easy for the England captain to leave.
Kane has a contract with Tottenham that runs until 2024, so he is not in an advantageous position when it comes to negotiating his exit. The 27-year-old expressed his frustration at being unable to win major trophies with Spurs in April, and now reports in England claim that he has told the club that he wants to leave.
Manchester United, Manchester City and Chelsea have all been in touch with Kane‘s representatives, CK66, but given the difficulties that other clubs tend to have when negotiating with Levy, it will not be easy to secure a deal for the Tottenhamstar.
Would Spurs rather sell Kane to a European club?
The vast amount of money in the Premier League makes the likes of United, City and Chelsea all viable destinations, but it is also possible that Levy opts for an approach similar to the one he executed when selling Luka Modric.
The Tottenham chairman did not want to sell the Croatian midfielder, but once he accepted that a departure was inevitable, Levy was clear that he did not want to strengthen a domestic rival. Modric was then sold to Real Madrid, rather than Manchester United. So, are there any foreign clubs that could viably make an offer for Kane?
Transfermarkt value Kane at 120 million euros, while the length of his contract means that Spurs could command a hefty fee. However, the north London club may be more willing to do business with some of Europe’s top clubs in order to avoid facing Kane at least twice a season.
Paris Saint-Germain have been linked as a possible destination in the event that Kylian Mbappe departs, while Real Madridand Barcelona have also been touted as options in the past. Given that the Blaugrana are desperate for a No.9, Kanewould be a wonderful option, yet the club’s dire financial position makes any deal difficult. The only way in which Barcelonamight be able to secure the English striker is by offering money plus players, like they attempted during negotiations for PSGforward Neymar in 2019.
Bayern Munich have no intention of parting ways with Robert Lewandowskijust yet, so they are off the table. In Italy it would be difficult to put the money together to sign Kane, but potentially some clubs may look to exchange players in order to reduce the overall price. The issue is encouraging players to leave a club such as Inter or Juventus to move to Tottenham, as barring a miracle they will not be in the Champions League next season.
Ultimately, it will depend on what Tottenham and Levy want to get out of selling Kane: do they want an eye-watering fee from a Premier League club in order to replenish the squad or are they open to receiving a lower amount plus players from a foreign team in order to avoid having to face their former star? Another thing to note is the fact that, following the sacking of Jose Mourinho, Spurs remain without a permanent coach, so they will have to bear this in mind when making their decision.
There are plenty of uncertainties when it comes to Tottenham parting ways with Kane, but one thing is almost certain: Levywill wait until the last minute if it means that he could get a better deal. Just ask Modric and Gareth Bale, who had to dig their feet in in order to push through their moves to Real Madrid.
Precious Chukwuwa
Chisom Orjiogbu
