It’s no secret that Tottenham’s talismanic striker harbours ambitions of winning trophies, with Harry Kane trying to engineer a move to Manchester City last summer on this basis (ESPN).
That move didn’t happen, with Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy standing firm, leaving Kane to play out at least another season at the North London club.
After a slow start to the campaign for Kane, Antonio Conte’s arrival at Tottenham appeared to be a turning point.
Kane has spoken of his happiness to be working with Conte (Standard), and Tottenham’s number 10 has certainly enjoyed an upward turn in fortunes on the pitch since the Italian took over, with three vintage performances from Kane within the last month.
In the dramatic 3-2 win against Manchester City, Kane scored twice and was unplayable, showing exactly why Pep Guardiola wanted to sign him.
Then, Spurs ran riot against Leeds United, with Kane again finding the net, and showcasing his impressive range of passing.
And, most recently, Kane scored two more in the emphatic win against Everton, to surpass Thierry Henry in the all-time Premier League scoring charts.
Unfortunately, between these wins, we saw two very disappointing defeats, to Burnley and Middlesborough.
These results not only hindered Tottenham’s hopes of securing Champions League football next season, but also saw the club miss out on their last chance of silverware this season.
Harry Kane needs trophies, and Spurs have failed to deliver yet again, which has seen rumours of a move resurface (Standard). If Conte’s ambitions are to be matched, we need Harry Kane and vice versa.
Even with Kane, Spurs desperately need another striker to take some pressure off. Dane Scarlett is the only other out-and-out striker in the squad, and though he shows promise, he is not ready to fill a Harry Kane shaped void.
But now, that £150m price tag of last summer (Daily Mail) will have dropped substantially. Kane is a year older, his contract is a year shorter, and his slight drop in potency this season would probably dictate a reduced fee anyway (TransferMarkt).
Spurs would be very lucky to get £100m for Kane in the summer, but Conte’s rebuild would become a much bigger challenge should Kane need replacing.
If Kane is to leave, it would more than likely mean that Spurs failed to finish fourth, which in turn means we attract a lower standard of player to the club.
Spurs would probably have to look at strikers at the bottom end of the table; like Ivan Toney, Emmanuel Dennis, and Neal Maupay. Good players, but not the kind of signings that win you the Premier League.
The remainder of this season is make or break for the club. Finish strong, take fourth place, keep Kane, and the Conte rebuild becomes an exciting project.
Miss out on fourth, lose perhaps the greatest player we’ve ever seen in a Tottenham shirt, and Conte would be very reluctant to finish the job he has started.
It’s not all doom and gloom though. We’ve seen glimpses of what Spurs are capable of without Harry Kane. The opening game of the season saw Heung-min Son shoulder the responsibility of leading the attack, and he did so very successfully.
I am actually of the opinion that Kane needs Son, more than Son needs Kane. And, as mentioned previously, Kane hasn’t been as prolific this season as he has in the past.
You never know, maybe losing Kane would be a blessing in disguise. It could allow the club to have a total reset and shift the focus from the inevitable “get it to Kane” approach.
Maybe then, other players in the squad could flourish with newfound freedom. That’s a big maybe though, and it’s not a scenario many fans are keen to see unfold.
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