Harry Kane sent shivers up the spines of Spurs fans last week when he gave a very honest interview with Jamie Redknapp via Instagram live.
He told Redknapp: “I love Spurs, I’ll always love Spurs, but it’s one of them things I’ve always said: ‘If I don’t feel like we’re progressing as a team or going in the right direction, I’m not someone to stay there just for the sake of it.’”
There are seemingly only two endings to this story:
1) Spurs get serious, back Jose Mourinho in the transfer market and commit to
really challenging for titles.
2) Kane leaves for a monstrous fee to go to a giant of world football where he can fulfil his career ambitions.
The realist in me suggests option 2 is more likely. If Kane were make it known that he wanted to leave, there would surely be mad competition for his signature.
The England captain, 26, is good enough to play for any team in the world. Spurs legend Gary Lineker agrees.
Speaking to talkSPORT, Lineker reacted to Kane’s interview by praising his honesty. The 1991 FA Cup winner went on to identify three icons of world football who Kane could possibly replace around Europe.
Lineker said: “There are obviously clubs in England that would have him.
“You look at Manchester City with Sergio Aguero, who is 32 now, and Manchester United desperately need a centre-forward.
“But then you look at Barcelona; Luis Suarez’s legs are going a little bit so they could be looking for a centre-forward, who knows.
“Even at Real Madrid, Karim Benzema is no spring chicken anymore. There will be one or two of the giants of world football that will be looking for a striker.”
Aguero, who does not actually turn 32 until June, is City’s all-time leading scorer but is possibly just past his peak and arguably a less complete striker than Kane.
Benzema has been Real’s leading marksman since Cristiano Ronaldo left for Juventus in 2018. Although Benzema is a Real great in his own right – having scored more than 200 goals – Kane would essentially be replacing CR7 if he were to go to the Spanish capital this summer.
Injuries have blighted Suarez’s season, resulting in the Catalan giants resorting to signing Martin Braithwaite in an emergency transfer outside of the window.
One suspects Braithwaite was a short-term fix and Camp Nou bosses will likely to looking for another option this summer. There is no doubt Barca would want Kane if the price was right. And although it would be painful to see Kane go, watching him partner Lionel Messi would be a bit of wet dream for many.