Tottenham Hotspur will take on Arsenal in the North London Derby on Sunday and Sky Sports pundit Paul Merson has claimed that a defeat for Antonio Conte’s side could see them lose Harry Kane at the end of the season.
The Gunners are currently fighting for the league title whereas Tottenham will be hoping to secure Champions League qualification for the next season.
Merson believes that Sunday’s game could be a decisive clash in terms of Kane’s future.
He wrote in Daily Star: “Despite all the talk about Arsenal and the Premier League title, this feels like a decisive game for Tottenham and Harry Kane.
“If Arsenal go and beat Spurs, Kane will be slumped there wondering ‘do I really sit here for the rest of my career and risk winning nothing?’
“This is a huge game for him because he could equal or surpass Jimmy Greaves’ goalscoring record and if Tottenham win this, everything feels rosy again having dented Arsenal’s title hopes.
“A defeat would leave Kane scratching his head, thinking ‘even our arch-rivals have gone clear of us – what am I doing here?’
“Everyone is looking for a centre-forward and the only buyable striker right now is Kane. Both sides have to win.”
A defeat to Arsenal could force Kane to consider his future at Tottenham. The 29-year-old is yet to win a trophy with Tottenham and a defeat to Arsenal will probably make him wonder whether he will win any silverware with Spurs in the upcoming seasons.
Kane has been linked with a move away from Tottenham in recent seasons but the Londoners have managed to hold down to him in the end.
It will be interesting to see if Kane decides to pursue a new adventure at the end of the season.
Manager Antonio Conte’s contract with Tottenham comes to an end in the summer and the Italian’s departure could also play a key role in deciding Harry Kane’s future.
Conte is a world-class manager who has proven himself across multiple clubs. His departure would weaken Tottenham’s hopes of winning silverware and Kane could look to join a bigger club.
It will be interesting to see how the situation develops and whether Tottenham can prevent an in-form Arsenal side from bagging all three points on Sunday.
