Tottenham and Daniel Levy are facing their most difficult decision in a long time. Harry Kane is entering into the final year of his contract. Usually, a side with the ambition that Spurs have wouldn’t even be considering a sale of their most important player. However, they are in a weak negotiating position, as their number ten is showing little desire to extend his stay.
At this moment in time, a departure on a free to another Premier League club feels inevitable, if he doesn’t leave this summer. That is something Levy will want to avoid if he is able to. It is one thing to lose your best player, it is another thing to lose them on a free transfer, leaving you in a perilous financial position when it comes to replacing them with a like-for-like player. Kane is currently worth in excess of £100 million. After missing out on European football completely last season, that is a financial loss than Tottenham can’t afford.
Bayern Munich and PSG are the two clubs that have been heavily linked with a move for the England captain. The Bundesliga champions have already made a couple of bids for the striker and their board have been very confident when speaking in the media. Meanwhile, PSG could lose Kylian Mbappe this summer after Lionel Messi already left the club. They would be interested in signing another global superstar in Kane.
Levy would be more interested in selling to a team outside of the Premier League. This avoids Tottenham having to strengthen a rival and limits the damage that it will do to his relationship with supporters. It is already at a low point and to lose Kane to a Premier League rival on a free would be difficult to recover from.
The business decision to sell Kane is simple. It has to be done. However, football isn’t as simple as that. The 29-year-old has been Tottenham’s star for the last number of seasons. Without him last season, it would have been even more embarrassing, as he carried the team. He contributed 30 goals and made three assists. As a team, Spurs scored 70, which means that Kane had a direct involvement in nearly 50% of the side’s goals.
That talismanic influence means it isn’t easy to decide to sell him, especially as the club try to rebuild under Ange Postecoglou. The Australian coach would like to be able to call on the guarantee that Kane provides, as he moulds the rest of the team.
Kane is a complete striker. Last season, he averaged 3.14 shots, 3.47 shot creating actions and 4.76 progressive passes per ninety minutes. In addition to carrying the goal threat, he is a creator and is the player that Tottenham rely on to link up play. He does everything in the Tottenham attack. The likes of Son Heung-min and Dejan Kulusevski are able to thrive based on Kane’s output. If Spurs lose Kane, they would need at least two or three different players to replace his output.
It would be near improbable to replace Kane, even if Tottenham did bring in £100m for him this summer. However, it would be impossible to do it next summer if he was to depart without a transfer fee being paid.
Tottenham and Levy are in an unenviable position this summer. There is no correct decision. If they sell him, they will inevitably fall backwards in attack. If they keep him, Postecoglou would be building a side on uncertain foundations, as his best player would be set to leave next summer.
There is still a chance that Tottenham could keep Kane. If the England skipper buys into the style of the new manager and he can see progression being made, it is possible. Although it would be a huge gamble to rely on that happening.
This is the biggest stick or twist decision in football this summer.
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