Tottenham are set for major changes this summer as new boss Ange Postecoglou looks set to be without star striker Harry Kane.
The 29-year-old is into the final year of his Spurs contract, which could give the club a reason to sell if they cannot agree on a new deal.
Spurs could cash in on a player, who would bring in a sizable transfer fee, rather than allow a free transfer in 2024. Indeed, reports from England suggest Spurs’ owner, Joe Lewis, has told the club to sell him now rather than lose him for nothing in a year’s time.
Since bursting onto the scene with 21 goals in the 2014/15 season, Kane has racked massive goal totals for club and country, becoming England’s all-time leading goalscorer in 2023.
It would be frustrating for Tottenham to wave goodbye to a club legend before the end of his prime years, but with contract negotiations proving fruitless, they may have little choice, as Kane could decide to chase silverware elsewhere.
MORE: Could Harry Kane still sign a new contract at Tottenham?
Latest news, reports on Harry Kane transfer
At the start of the summer, Kane had four options for 2023/24: stay at Tottenham, or move to Manchester United, Bayern Munich, or Real Madrid.
Bayern Munich have led the race from the off and on August 10 a breakthrough was finally made in negotiations between the two clubs with David Ornstein reporting a fee of €100million (£86.4m, $110m) has been agreed.
The decision was then down to Kane, and it seems the England striker has opted for a move with the striker flying out to Germany on August 11 for a medical.
In early April, Laurie Whitwell and Jack Pitt-Brooke of The Athletic reported Manchester United boss Erik Ten Hag was “sold” on a summer move for Kane.
However, according to an April 26 report by Samuel Luckhurst at the Manchester Evening News, United were wary of the “games” Spurs chairman Daniel Levy likes to play, known for dragging out negotiations to pit interested clubs against each other. The same reporter said in May, United are assuming Spurs will not sell Kane.
The Athletic’s transfer expert David Ornstein previously revealed the Bundesliga champions reached out to Spurs with a formal €70m offer, plus add-ons, to try to tempt him to Bavaria.
Reports from Sky Sports Germany claim that bid was rejected, but Bayern have improved their offers since to get closer to Daniel Levy’s demands. The club’s honorary president, Uli Hoeness, has even claimed the player has “clearly signalled” that he would like to join the Bundesliga champions, while Kane’s wife is claimed to have visited Germany to go house-hunting.
Tottenham’s new life without Kane will get underway in their first match against Brentford on Sunday, August 13.
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Ange Postecoglou’s plan for Harry Kane
New Spurs boss Ange Postecoglou offered a wry response as his first press conference at the club was dominated by questions over Kane’s future.
The former Celtic head coach did not shy away from the speculation over keeping Kane at Tottenham but the Australian insisted he is confident of retaining him.
“Kane is one of the premier strikers in the world and I want him involved here,” he said.
“I just want to introduce myself to Harry, give him my vision, get an understanding from him over what his vision is and try to be successful.
🗣️ “Question three – it was Harry [Kane] was it?”
Ange Postecoglou says he was running a competition with the other coaches to see how long it would take to be asked about the future of Harry Kane. 🤣 pic.twitter.com/I7U4RCLYBJ
— Football Daily (@footballdaily) July 10, 2023
“My conversation with him will be about how we can make this club successful and there’s no doubt that’s what he wants as well.
“What I know right now is that Harry is part of this squad and looking forward to coming back among players, training and start working together.”
Following Postecoglou’s comments, Kane joined the Tottenham squad in their return to preseason training on July 12, with reports from the Daily Telegraph claiming the club are willing to offer him a new £400,000/$517,000 per week contract to stay at the club.
Day one pt.2 pic.twitter.com/cT10aUG0Fu
— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) July 12, 2023
That would’ve put Kane in the bracket of the Premier League’s top earning stars if he commits his future to Spurs and rejects Bayern.
However, he now looks closer than ever to leaving Spurs.
Harry Kane contract extension with Tottenham
Harry Kane signed his last Tottenham contract in June 2018, penning a deal that runs to the summer of 2024. Since then, there’s been little movement on a new agreement for the 29-year-old.
While a move away from Tottenham still seems the most likely conclusion to this scenario, it’s also possible that a new contract extension materialises that sees Kane remain at Spurs for the rest of his career, or at least the rest of his prime.
Back in January, Ornstein of The Athletic reported that Kane was open to signing a new contract at Tottenham, going so far as to say that his “wish would be to win trophies at Tottenham”.
Yet the same report conceded there have not been any “serious discussions” in either direction. The next day, Kane said he was “sure there will be conversations in the coming months” on a new contract, but there has been very little noise since.
Outside of individual awards — Kane has won three Premier League Golden Boots and a FIFA World Cup Golden Boot in 2018 — he has never won a team title despite making the Champions League final (2019) and two Carabao Cup finals (2015, 2021).