EXCLUSIVE: Harry Kane ready to accept STAYING at Tottenham, with his £150m move to Manchester City looking set to fail and England captain preparing to concentrate on the season at Spurs instead
- Harry Kane’s protracted move to Manchester City has become saga of summer
- But the England captain is now set to concentrate on Tottenham’s season ahead
- The 28-year-old has been the champions’ No 1 striker target so far this window
- City’s formal £100m offer in June included £75m up front and was rejected
Harry Kane is close to accepting he is staying at Tottenham Hotspur, Sportsmail understands.
The England captain’s protracted move to Manchester City has become the biggest transfer saga of the summer.
But the Spurs striker is set to draw a line under the episode to concentrate on the season ahead with Tottenham.
Harry Kane is close to accepting he is staying at Tottenham Hotspur, Sportsmail understands
The England captain’s protracted move to Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City has become the biggest transfer saga of the summer
Kane has been City’s No 1 target this summer but it now appears certain that they will have to turn their attentions elsewhere.
Spurs chairman Daniel Levy has remained steadfast that the club’s top scorer in each of the past seven seasons is not for sale this summer.
Indeed, Sportsmail revealed on Monday that Spurs chiefs were confident they were winning the battle to keep hold of their wantaway striker.
Any move for Kane from City would likely cost at least £150million, eclipsing the figure the Premier League champions paid for Jack Grealish earlier this summer.
City’s opening £100m offer for the Three Lions striker in June was worth only a guaranteed £75m, and with fewer than seven days of the transfer window left the north London side believe it is virtually impossible that Kane will leave.
But the Spurs striker is set to draw a line under the episode to concentrate on the season ahead with Nuno Espirito Santo’s men
Sportsmail reported earlier this week that City were expected to launch a fresh bid to land Kane in a deal worth £125m, with the club not having given up hope of landing the forward.
The 28-year-old was made Pep Guardiola’s only target to replace club record goalscorer Sergio Aguero after it became clear Erling Haaland’s immediate future lay with Borussia Dortmund.
But Sportsmail understands City could now divert their attention towards the Norway international next summer with Spurs appearing increasingly unlikely to convinced to sell Kane.
The England star himself appears to have underlined his commitment to Spurs following two social media posts, before making his first appearance of the season as a substitute in Sunday’s win at Wolves.
Spurs chairman Daniel Levy has been adamant Kane will not leave the club this summer
City could now turn their attention to signing Borussia Dortmund’s Erling Haaland next year
Last season’s Champions League finalists are also understood to have been offered a £25m deal for Juventus star Cristiano Ronaldo by his agent Jorge Mendes.
The 36-year-old has one year remaining on his deal in Turin and doubts about his future have emerged following reports he asked to begin last weekend’s season opener at Udinese on the bench.
According to L’Equipe, Ronaldo is currently trying to create the right circumstances for a move, including a swap deal involving Portugal team-mate Bernardo Silva or defender Aymeric Laporte. But City’s sights had always been set on Kane.
Injuries reduced Aguero – now at Barcelona – to a bit-part role in 2020-21, making just seven top-flight starts as City recorded their lowest number of goals in a league campaign since Guardiola’s first year in charge.
The Catalan boss therefore favoured the use of false nines, and now central option Gabriel Jesus is believed to have told his manager he now prefers operating on the wing.
It is understood City have also been offered Juventus star Cristiano Ronaldo this summer
Guardiola has deployed Ferran Torres up front too, while Liam Delap is another option, with the teenager set to stay at the Etihad Stadium despite loan interest.
Kevin De Bruyne and Raheem Sterling have both played through the middle, with new £100m signing Grealish also a possible striker.
Bernardo Silva can fill in in that unfamiliar role too, although the Portugal star is still the most likely first-team star to leave the club with interest from Spain.
Gary Neville, whose interview with Kane sparked the big summer transfer saga, told Sky Sports’ Monday Night Football his former club Manchester United could win the title by signing him.
‘I think if Kane went to United they could get up to 90-95 points,’ said Neville.
‘They’re going to have to buy a centre forward at some point, why not get the man now and give Ole (Solskjaer) the impetus he needs to get to that points total.’
The club are still on the lookout for Sergio Aguero’s replacement after he joined Barcelona
Advertisement
Source: Daily Mail