Every transfer window has a saga that drags on until the very end. It seemed obvious quite early on heading into the summer that Harry Kane was likely going to be the focus on this occasion.
The Tottenham Hotspur striker seeks an escape from north London in search of winning major trophies after cementing himself as Spurs’ all-time record goalscorer. As usual, Spurs’ chairman Daniel Levy is trying to scare potential suitors away with his characteristic unwillingness to do business.
He has already knocked back two bids from German giants Bayern Munich, who are believed to have held positive talks with Kane’s representatives about a switch to the Allianz Arena. The second bid was reported to be around the £68.5 million mark but Levy is likely to be holding out for £100m given the likes of English talents Jack Grealish and Declan Rice have gone for around that price.
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The only problem is, Kane is into the final year of his contract at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and, as such, Levy doesn’t have any bargaining power. He managed to hold his nerve when Manchester City came calling two years ago but that was apparently from him ghosting their attempts to discuss a transfer for the England captain.
Levy is now in a much weaker bargaining position because Tottenham’s majority shareholder Joe Lewis has reportedly stepped in to say that the club must sell Kane during this window unless he agrees to a new contract. This hints at a rift behind the scenes at Spurs which the likes of Bayern and long-term suitors Manchester United will be very happy to see.
It means that buyers can turn this to their advantage. If the majority shareholder wants the club to cash in on Kane now and it’s in the public domain, Levy’s firm negotiation style has been made redundant and now the sale is in the power of interested clubs.
The likes of Bayern and United, if they are still interested, will now know exactly how to play this out over the coming weeks. Lewis’ desire to sell means that they can wait a few weeks to make Spurs panic about heading into the season with a player on the cusp of leaving for free in 2024, and as such it will be that Lewis will be open to some good old-fashioned haggling from the interested parties.
The bids Bayern have put on the table so far could be deemed more appropriate the longer this saga drags on and there is a chance that the price could drop. Manchester United are currently trying to sign promising talent Rasmus Hojlund from Atalanta but if they cannot come to an agreement for the young Dane, they could turn their attention back to Kane, especially following the news of Lewis’ stance on the situation.
For Kane, he will want his future resolved as soon as possible as the start of the new Premier League term draws closer. And given the latest developments, it looks increasingly likely he will get his wish and leave N17.
*18+ | BeGambleAware
