Tottenham officials will no doubt feel like they have ‘won’ the summer transfer window after fending off interest from Manchester City for star man Harry Kane, but have they? Tottenham had the chance to build a new, exciting team with cash to burn if they were to offload the striker, but are now stuck with a player who dreams of playing elsewhere.
Kane is, undoubtedly, one of the best footballers in the world.
The striker, 28, is captain of the England national team and finished last season with 33 goals and 17 assists, at times carrying a side plagued with issues off the pitch.
He carried that form into Euro 2020, scoring four goals in seven games and helping England progress to the final.
Kane is still under contract at Tottenham until 2024, having inked a mega six-year deal back in 2018.
With that in mind, why on earth would Tottenham sell?
Manchester City made their transfer plans clear early in the window – they wanted Kane and Aston Villa’s Jack Grealish.
They had no issues with money when it came to triggering the release clause in national darling Grealish’s contract earlier in the summer, forking out £100million for the star.
However, when it came to Kane, they decided to be more strict with their finances.
After seeing their bid of £75m with £25m in add-ons rejected by Spurs, City went quiet on their desire to sign Kane and instead appeared to let the striker ruin his reputation with the club and their fanbase.
City – barring a bizarre move for 36-year-old Manchester United icon Cristiano Ronaldo – will now attempt to defend their Premier League title with no recognised out-and-out striker.
Spurs, on the other hand, have a leading forward who doesn’t want to be there. The Kane to City narrative will likely last throughout the season and both clubs risk being left red-faced depending on what happens throughout the campaign.
Kane confirmed in his statement that he would be staying at Tottenham “this summer”, but his statement offered little confidence to Spurs fans hoping he’d see out his contract at the club.
As a result, this is a story that won’t go away, and Kane will undoubtedly have to field questions about City throughout the season.
They would have signed one of the best strikers in the world, they’d have completed their star-studded squad, and they would unquestionably improve their chances of an elusive first Champions League trophy.
Spurs, on the other hand, would have rid themselves of an unhappy player while giving themselves the money to buy themselves some new assets – the likes of Adama Traore and Pape Sarr spring to mind.
Kane could very realistically go on to fire Tottenham into the top four this season or – who knows? – maybe their first trophy of his time at the club. Meanwhile, City remain favourites for the Premier League title despite the lack of a forward.
But if things start to go downhill this season for either side, the question will be asked – What if?