Tottenham Hotspur will finally lose Harry Kane next summer, with the England captain wanting a new challenge.
That's according to a rather surprising report that's come out – laughable, Spurs fans may say – linking the much-adored striker with a move away from the beloved Lilywhites side that he has made his name at. Kane has been a target for the likes of Real Madrid, Manchesters United and City and even Liverpool over the years but has stuck at Spurs.
2023, however, will see the Lilywhites' No.10 approach the final year of his contract – and with that, suitors will be lining up to prise him away from north London. Last time, Daniel Levy managed to hold firm amid interest from Manchester City, though may be tempted to cash in next summer rather than lose his greatest asset for nothing.
The Sun claims that Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich will be looking to swoop for Kane next summer as the eventual successor to Robert Lewandowski up front.
According to German outlet Bild, the Bavarians are already in contact with Kane's representatives, too, suggesting to the forward that he holds off from signing any new extension with Antonio Conte's team and waits for a move to Europe to materialise.
30 next July, Kane would still be expensive for Bayern to poach but perhaps nowhere near the reported £120 million that Levy bargained when Man City approached Spurs last summer. With a year left to run, Bayern would Die Roten would be banking on Tottenham wanting to cash in on the player rather than see him walk away to a Premier League rival on a Bosman.
The theory may have legs, too: when asked by Sky Germany, Sporting Director Hasan Salihamidzic curiously didn't deny the idea, "It's too early to talk about it."
While the idea makes sense on paper, however, those suggesting that Kane would leave are perhaps doubting his loyalty to Tottenham, Levy's stubbornness and the potential for Spurs to have a season worth convincing him of the project he is integral to.
Kane has only come close to leaving Tottenham once – last summer, to City – and even then, the England captain did not rock the boat out of respect for his club. Since then, the north Londoners have significantly invested to position themselves as challengers in the Premier League, reached the Champions League and look strong enough to finish in the top four again.
Antonio Conte has turned fortunes at the club and should they end their trophy drought this season – or at least come close – it would seem likely that Kane would be convinced enough of his employers' ambitions and positive direction to see out his final year.
One would assume, too, that the 29-year-old would be even less inclined to push for a move given that he is now even closer to becoming Spurs' all-time leading scorer – a record that the player himself told FourFourTwo was an ambition of his to break.
Then there's the Levy factor. The Tottenham chief is not one for bowing to pressure when selling players, frequently letting stars leave well below their peak value – such as Dele Alli, Christian Eriksen and Danny Rose. Selling Kane for a significant fee would be out of character.
And would the player himself even want to leave for Bayern? While Kane wants to win trophies, he has the all-time Premier League goalscoring record in his sights and could well be offered another lucrative deal to remain at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium beyond his current 2024 contract expiration.
It looks like it may well be the transfer saga of next summer. Kane is valued at £81m by Transfermarkt.
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Antonio Conte has asked his Tottenham side to be dreamers ahead of a busy season. The Italian is convinced that Harry Kane is now 100% happy, though he’s admitted that Spurs need another window to fully compete. Worries over Son Heung-min’s form have been quashed by the manager, too.
With a packed schedule, it’s been confirmed that Kane will get plenty of rest. Despite this, there weren't many incomings towards the end of the window. A new playmaker has been touted, with Tanguy Ndombele leaving on loan. Djed Spence could well be starting soon too, with Conte impressed with the new signing.
Elsewhere, Kane and Dejan Kulusevski have both spoken positively about Spurs’ good start to the season.
