Harry Kane will remain at Tottenham this summer after chairman Daniel Levy refused to sell the 28-year-old, and his performance in the UEFA Conference League on Thursday proved just how valuable a decision that may turn out to be.
Harry Kane has already got himself back amongst the goals for Tottenham after starring in their UEFA Conference League success against Pacos de Ferreira.
Kane scored a first-half brace in front of the home fans as his side went on to beat the Portuguese outfit 3-0, with many supporters fearing that they may never see the England captain represent Spurs again.Â
Manchester City have wanted to sign Kane all summer but ended their interest this week after Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy would not budge on his £150million valuation, and the striker confirmed via his personal Twitter account that he would be staying at Spurs this summer.
It took Kane just nine minutes to get on the scoresheet for his side, but his attitude and performance proved his immeasurable value to Tottenham.
It seemed destined that Kane would be leaving Tottenham this summer, and the forward expressed his desire to leave, stating that he had a ‘gentleman’s agreement’ with Levy to move away from north London.Â
Despite this, Levy rejected City’s opening bid of £100m and remained reluctant to negotiate unless Pep Guardiola offered at least £150m, which the Manchester side were clearly unwilling to do.Â
Kane is desperate to become one of the greats, and the 28-year-old wants to win trophies while fit and in his prime, and fears this may not be possible at Tottenham.
However, Spurs are already thriving under Nuno Espirito Santo as they have won their opening two games of the Premier League season, and with Kane staying, it could push Tottenham back into the Champions League.
This plays into both the hands of Levy and Kane, as Tottenham will be likely to attract bigger names with Champions League status, which could help result in a move for the England captain next summer.
Kane’s statement was cleverly worded as he said ‘I will be staying at Tottenham this summer’, implying that his future may still lie away from north London next season.
If Spurs were to qualify for Europe’s top competition, Levy has a much better chance of bringing in a marquee signing should the Englishman leave.Â
Levy was never under any pressure to sell Kane, as the forward still had three-years left on a bumper contract he signed with the club in 2018, meaning that the chairman could be confident in receiving offers of the same magnitude for his star-striker next season.
However, next summer may be the ideal time to let Kane move on, especially if Champions League football is secured, as the Englishman will be of peak value ahead of the 2022/23 season.
Another layer to this is that the loan signings of Cristian Romero and Pierluigi Gollini could become permanent next summer for a combined £65m.
Any sale for Kane would automatically cover these payments, with a healthy balance to bring in a new centre-forward.
Of course, very few players can replace Kane, but the funds could be integral for strengthening the squad, as Nuno embarks on his long-term plan in the Tottenham dugout.