Whats next for Spurs?

We are creeping ever closer towards an inevitable outcome. An outcome many Tottenham fans had dreamed would never come, and one that rival fans have thought would come a long time ago. Harry Kane, Spurs all time record goalscorer, looks set to leave the club this summer. The world’s greatest ever ‘One season wonder’ is the subject of interest from German giants Munich, who are still trying to replace former star man Lewandowksi after he left for Catalan giants Barcelona, and with confidence growing each day amongst the German camp it seems more and more likely that it will be a case of ‘when’ not ‘if’ Kane goes. Part of the reason there seemed to be such doubt about the legitimacy of this transfer, was that it would take Kane out of the Premier league, and in turn, set him back in his quest to be the all time record goalscorer of the league usurping fellow Englishman Shearer. But with reported talks between Daniel Levy and the Bayern hierarchy taking place this week, it seems as though the England superstar has prioritised silverware over personal accolades.

But where does that leave Tottenham Hotspur? Replacing a player that is so pivotal to the team, especially considering the length of his stint, is never an easy task. West Ham are in a similar position as they try to Replace Rice who left the club earlier in the window, and they are taking a measured approach, having yet to spend any of the British record fee they received from London rivals Arsenal. But with the season just two weeks away, time is not on Spurs side, and ideally they would want any replacement to be brought in as quickly as possible so they can get their season underway with a strong start. Ange Postecoglou is in his inaugural season at the North London outfit and if Kane were to leave, tensions could be immediately high, if this is coupled in with a slow start, then big Ange may find himself unfairly up against it, such is the nature of Premier league football.

This isn’t unchartered territory for Levy and the board, having sold Gareth Bale for a club record fee in 2013, although they will be hoping that any incoming reinforcements will be more Eriksen and less Soldado. The unfortunate issue for the ever frugal Levy, is that the market is a different entity to a decade ago when Madrid dumped a huge bag of cash on their lap. The price they got for Bale reflected selling one of the best players in the world, entering his peak, having just signed a contract extension the previous season. Whereas with Kane, they are still selling one of the best players in the world, however they are selling him on the wrong side of 30 with a year left on his deal. Whatever figure they receive this year, will still be considerably less than any other time in the last 5+ years, and even if they get a fee that is higher than the one they got 10 years ago, the money in present times doesn’t go nearly as far as it did then. Manchester United have just spent close to the Harry Kane fee on 20 year old Hojlund, a player that is undoubtedly full of potential, but some way off the talent of Kane. So who could Spurs sign that would supply an adequate replacement? Truth be told, whoever they sign will struggle to match not only the goals he provides, but the creative input he offers, most notably with his partnership with Son. Part of the issue is there is a dearth of available top strikers in world football. The closest profile in English football, with a realistic chance of being attainable, would be Ivan Toney who has proven to be a good top flight goal scorer while also offering so much more than that. The obvious elephant in the room is the suspension he is currently serving that will see him miss half of this season. This may help bring the eventual fee for him down, however football is an immediate business and we mentioned earlier how important it is for Spurs to get a good start this year, so can they really afford to not replace their greatest ever player straight away? Another English based player, who when on form has a scoring record that is hard to match, is Lukaku. The love affair with Inter Milan has soured after he entertained offers from Juventus, although their interest seems entirely dependent on selling their own striker Vlahovic first which is proving harder than first thought. He himself could be a strong option for big Ange as long as he is willing to take a step back from European football this season. Missing out on Europe this season could not come at a worse time with all things considered, but Chelsea are proving that you can still get deals done as long as the project(and wage) is promising.

There will still be hope amongst Spurs fans that Levy can pull one last magic contract extension out from up his sleeve, and that hope will last right up until the day Kane signs for someone else(if that were to happen). But if their worst nightmare is realised then it should be all doom and gloom, big Ange is bringing back attractive football and the team is still full of talent with Son, Kulusevski and Richarlison leading the line and other areas of the squad still being improved. Whether or not Kane leaves, I firmly believe this team is on the up, they have gone back to what made them successful and likeable in the first place and ditched the mercenary managers that have left gloom over the club since Poch left. It’s not over until the ink is dry, but it does seem like the Harry-Spurs love story may have written its final chapter.