There are a number of key factors at play when analysing the speculation over Harry Kane’s future. The most significant of which is the market. There will be those reading this, that have just been provoked into making a heavy sigh, but this is Daniel Levy we are talking about, and anyone who believes that his unseemly haste in furloughing 550 non-playing staffers was a momentary lapse of reason, may well find themselves struggling with several more moments that are equally difficult to digest, in the coming seasons.
Paul Merson comes with a considerable deal of baggage when it comes to discussing activity at Spurs, but let’s not forget that football – at its essence – is a simple game, one so simple even the Merse’s of this world can understand it. Merson believes that it is now a natural outcome that Kane will be sold, and I agree with him.
Harry Kane is, in cold professional terms, a failure. If we spare ourselves the now rather tired tale of his rise from struggling loanee to the One Of Our Own super striker, what we are looking at in 2020 is a 27-year-old who’s scored 181 goals and is no closer to lifting a trophy than when he was being groomed for greatness by Timothy Sherwood.
It’s a bitter irony that the nearest the boy Kane has come to silverwear, was a European cup final where he was close to invisible, most probably due to not being entirely matching fit.
We’ve discussed the likely changes in English football’s economic landscape, and the notion that Kane is worth even close to £200million to anyone now is really quite ambitious – to the point of being detached from reality.
Looking at the Tottenham squad, Tottenham’s finances and more importantly what the market will bear, the only hope for José Mourinho to improve his chances significantly, would be to raise funds from the sale of Kane.
FFP is still in existence, Man City are testament to that. Spurs have a sustainable business and it is treated as such, hence Levy being labelled a good businessman. No matter how much I want Lewis to throw money at Spurs, he can’t. None of the clubs with billionaire owners can, Leicester and Brighton included. Everton cannot sustain their spending model based on current revenues no matter the wealth of their owners, no serious businessman is going to keep throwing £200m into a loss making business, especially when success is not now guaranteed. Roman the Russian ploughed his investment into the club before FFP, they now rely on selling loan players to maintain revenues, not Roman’s billions. City did the same, last season they sold approximately £120m worth of players, most of whom had played very little for them (Diaz for instance) and few people had heard of them. Utd were purchased through debt by the Glazers. Again, Man Utd spend the money they generate, not through a Glazer handout. It is not looking good for Spurs, don’t get me wrong, but other clubs are not on Easy Street. Even without Newcastle the situation is looking bleak.
In Know The👍
I’d exempt United and Everton from that list, their backers have money and are willing to spend it. I think Wolves are well financed and Leicester have wealthy owners who spend and both have good squads. Add in Newcastle and Chelsea who can turn on the money taps when they like we are going to find the going tough with Kane or without. Levy strikes me as a risk averse businessman who will invest in land property and capital projects with a guaranteed return, but he steers well clear of investing in the only thing that matters to a football team, players, because there is no guaranteed return and too much downside. I still think he’s smarting from the purchase of the magnificent eight. Brilliant business man, clueless on football.
Dunno, you’ll have to ask him.
*boom boom*
He’s a big Blades fan
Only Sheffield Utd reference I knew!
Sean Bean?
Other clubs are feeling the pinch too and talk of selling their best players is never far from the back pages. Wolves, Leicester, Sheffield Utd, Everton and Utd (our immediate competitors) are going through the same. Traore and Jimenez, Maddison and Soyuncu, Sean Bean, Digne and Gomez, and Pogba are all refuted to be wanting a move, possibly moving or fans thinking it might be best to cash in the chips. Liverpool are reportedly losing Salah, and Mane’s mate (slow news day or what!) commented on him not likely to stay at Anfield. City are losing Silva with Sane and Aguero possibly leaving. The difference is that Liverpool and City are still looking forward although City are in a transition. They need at least 2 defenders and a midfielder. We, even with Kane have hit a brick wall. Have done since January 2019, but a few signings can easily put the ship back on course (if there is a proper plan). However, Corona virus plus no Ch Lg next season equals no money. I don’t want to, but I think we need to sell Kane. You never know, he might do a Sheringham. Win his medals and come back home.
IKT ….. PL likely to resume in June but Behind closed doors.
It’s all so inevitable. Levy will use the excuse of corona virus to avoid as little recruitment as possible. We really had the chance to press on under Poch. Levy and the board ignored his advice to be brave and opted for the usual bull***t line that we had to sell before we could buy. Inevitably, Levy completely mispriced the players he was trying to sell and suffered the consequences. Nobody knows, least of all HMG, how long it will take for life to resume normality and football with it, but what can be assured is that football matters under Captain Bungle of the good ship Tottenham will not improve. Ten managers, one trophy, £635 mill of debt, a white elephant of a stadium and the universal contempt of other supporters and commentators is quite an impressive CV. When will the board do the decent thing and resign?
ENIC OUT!
Ah, the glory that awaits spurs if only they can sell Kane.
It makes sense, Levy won’t give Jose even a fraction the money he wants unless it’s generated by a sale. Levy messed up with Eriksen and as a result there is no other player getting past their mid 20’s that retains any value for him to flog basically. Other than Sonny perhaps?
The fans have been sold a pack of lies, the Stadium was supposedly going to be a catalyst for success with Kane leading the charge.
Like the early to mid Poch period, things looked like they were onwards and upwards. Kane has also been one of the major promotional tools to sell the stadium brand to supporters and sponsors alike. Now it’s built, debt has been structured and season tickets and corporate spaces sold, the game changes.
It switches back to the continued dull mediocrity of the previous 20 years of ENIC, only with a shopping center added on. Levy now also has the very convenient Coronavirus crisis as an excuse, and I doubt he will let the opportunity go…
In the words of Johnny Rotten in the Great Rock and Roll Swindle;
“Ever feel like you’ve been cheated?!”
ENIC OUT.