Q&A: A closer look at Harry Kane saga with player staying at Spurs ‘this summer’

Tottenham striker Harry Kane will remain at the club this summer after accepting he will not be joining Manchester City.

The England captain was desperate to join the Premier League champions, but they got nowhere near the asking price as Spurs refused to sell.

Here, the PA news agency takes a closer look at the saga.

Why did Kane want to leave?

The England captain became frustrated at Tottenham’s lack of progress over recent years and wanted to quench his thirst for winning silverware. It looked like Kane would enjoy the fairytale as, coming through the ranks, he was the spearhead of the team that twice challenged for the Premier League and got to the Champions League final under Mauricio Pochettino. However, after failing to invest in the team, Spurs have slid from the top table of English football and posted sixth- and seventh-placed finishes in the Premier League in the last two seasons. Kane’s personal form has not dropped as he won the Golden Boot and Playmaker award last season.

How did the situation play out?

Kane, who was tied to a contract until 2024, made his first move at the end of last season, letting it be known he wanted to be sold this summer shortly before conducting an interview with Gary Neville where he said he needed to discuss his future, spoke of a £100million price tag on his head and strongly hinted that Manchester City was his preferred destination after naming Kevin De Bruyne as his ideal team-mate. However, Spurs’ stance that their star player was not for sale and that did not change amid constant leaks and stories emerging from the Kane camp over the summer. The England captain took matters into his own hands when he returned late for pre-season and subsequently had to self-isolate which led to him missing the opening two games of the season. Despite publicly saying they wanted to sign Kane, City never put in a bid that even made Spurs consider changing their position and Kane ultimately accepted his fate.

Why did Manchester City not make a bigger bid?

City were public in their desire to sign Kane, but never got close to even tempting Spurs to the negotiating table, with their only offer a £100m bid that included sizeable add-ons. Boss Pep Guardiola set the narrative that it must be up to Spurs to negotiate, but that clearly did not account for Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy. Spurs’ stance was that he was not for sale, but a reported fee of £160m had been floated around as a possible asking price. City never had any intention of going that high, especially after spending £100m on Jack Grealish. As it became clearer that Levy was not for budging, the deal quickly died.

Is this all over?

There is a sense that it was now or never for Kane in his bid to move to City. He knows they need a striker now and, with younger options available next summer, he may not be as attractive a proposition, even if his fee will be lower. The wording of his tweet announcing he was staying was interesting, saying he is staying at Tottenham “this summer”, and that will inevitably lead to speculation starting again in January, especially if City do not sign a striker before the end of the transfer window.

Can anyone get the better of Daniel Levy?

This will go down as another victory for Spurs chairman Levy, who is notoriously reluctant to let star players leave, with Luka Modric, Gareth Bale and Dimitar Berbatov able to testify. While Kane is adamant he had an agreement with Levy to leave this summer, Spurs have always denied that and, in truth, the chairman has done nothing but look after the best interests of the club. His star player is under contract for three years and has no release clause. While City tried to push the narrative that Spurs should be willing to negotiate, Levy was well within his rights to stand firm, especially with City not prepared to table a sizeable bid.