Tottenham Hotspur talisman Harry Kane has long been linked with moves away from north London – now he has his chance
(Image credit: Getty Images)
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.
Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy drives a hard bargain when it comes to player sales (Image credit: PA Images)
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."
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Bayern Chief of Sport Hasan Salihamidzic has identified Harry Kane as Bayern's next big No.9 (Image credit: Stefan Brauer/DeFodi Images via Getty Images)
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.
In an exclusive with FourFourTwo this year, Kane spoke of his ambition to remain at Tottenham (Image credit: Future)
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.
Mark White has been at on FourFourTwo since joining in January 2020, first as a staff writer before becoming content editor in 2023. An encyclopedia of football shirts and boots knowledge – both past and present – Mark has also represented FFT at both FA Cup and League Cup finals (though didn't receive a winners' medal on either occasion) and has written pieces for the mag ranging on subjects from Bobby Robson's season at Barcelona to Robinho's career. He has written cover features for the mag on Mikel Arteta and Martin Odegaard, and is assisted by his cat, Rosie, who has interned for the brand since lockdown.
