WHEN Pep Guardiola called them “the Harry Kane team” in 2017, Spurs fans everywhere got the right hump.
It was a harsh assessment at the time and one for which Guardiola subsequently apologised.
But, as with so many other things, it turned out that the all-knowing Manchester City boss was spot on.
Because six years after being written off as a one-man team, that’s exactly what Tottenham are in danger of turning into.
And that’s why Daniel Levy cannot sell his club’s all-time leading scorer… for any price.
Perennial German champions Bayern Munich have just bid £68million for Kane with the promise of another £8.8m in potential add-ons, and a delegation flew into London this evening.
On the face of it, that seems a more than generous offer for a player who turns 30 in a fortnight’s time, has only one year left on his contract and has never won a single trophy in his career.
But while Levy might be many things, he is not an idiot.
He knows that even were Bayern to double their offer, it still wouldn’t compensate Spurs for the loss of their once-in-a-generation striker.
Because for the past nine years Kane has averaged an astonishing 30 goals per season and last season alone scored 42 per cent of all his team’s Premier League total.
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Spurs would have been 24 points worse off without Kane’s contribution last season, which would have meant finishing two points above the relegation zone.
Obviously if he had not been playing, someone else would have taken his place and presumably taken up at least some of the slack.
Hell, even Richarlison might have managed more than one league goal.
But the £60m Brazilian’s struggle to make an impact in the No9 shirt explains just why Levy breaks into a cold sweat at the mere thought of life without Kane.
With the exceptions of Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappe, there is no other player in the world who guarantees as many goals as the prolific England captain.
And strikers of that extraordinary calibre don’t sign for teams who can’t even qualify for the Europa Conference League.
Of course Kane will be tempted by Bayern’s interest, just as he was when Guardiola came knocking at his door two years ago.
With the exceptions of Haaland and Mbappe, nobody else in the world guarantees as many goals as Kane
Mark Irwin
He doesn’t want to end his career without at least one major winners’ medal and he knows in his heart of hearts that’s not going to happen with Spurs.
But for as long as he is under contract, there is nothing he can do to force his way out of the club.
He isn’t going to go on strike and he’s not the type to rock the boat for new boss Ange Postecoglou.
So all he can do is threaten to run his contract down and leave as a free agent next year.
That’s why Levy is trying to play on Kane’s loyalty and will offer him a new deal worth as much as £400,000-a-week.
If that doesn’t work, he should just bite the bullet, keep Kane for one last season and pray that he can secure a Champions League pay day by firing them back into the top four.
That’s a hell of a gamble when you consider the teams Tottenham will be up against in the new season.
But what else can they do when the alternative doesn’t bear thinking about?
No Kane, plenty of pain.
FORMULA ONE IS THE PITTS
PLENTY of eyebrows were raised when Lewis Hamilton declared that he supported peaceful protests by Just Stop Oil.
Err, the clue’s in the name, Lewis, and if you’re not guzzling gas you’re not getting paid £27million-a-year by Mercedes.
To be honest, a few protestors on the track might liven up the tedious F1 procession which allows Max Verstappen to lead every race from start to finish.
The highlight of Sunday’s British Grand Prix involved Brad Pitt cosplaying in the pit lane and Sky’s Martin Brundle confirming that he is the rudest man on TV.
Yet 480,000 spectators still squeezed into Silverstone over the four day festival despite the eye-watering cost of admission.
Maybe they’re paying for the chance to breathe the same fumes as Tom Cruise, Cara Delevingne and Romeo Beckham.
Because they sure as hell ain’t forking out for edge-of-the-seat competition.
BRITISH TENNIS JUST BARMY
HOW come it’s funny when the Barmy Army coordinate their costumes at The Ashes but cringey when tennis fans do the same thing at Wimbledon?
Centre Court spectators were even told off the other day for popping champagne corks mid-match.
They were probably just drowning their sorrows at the demise of British tennis.
Because you’d have to be drunk to believe any homegrown players were going to make it to the second week.
DON’T BLUE YOUR MONEY
CHELSEA fans are being offered the chance to buy the club’s ‘classic’ new sponsor-free shirt when it goes on sale next month.
But it’s not so classic that it could be out of date within days of its release when the club finally comes up with a suitable backer.
There’s even a suggestion the Blues might send out a sponsor’s logo for the early purchasers to iron onto their hastily acquired kit.
Alternatively, you could just save your money and not be a full-kit w*****.
ONE MUIR YEAR
KAZUYOSHI MIURA, 56, has just extended his contract with Portuguese club Oliveirense to become the oldest professional footballer in the world.
It’s a bitter blow for Everton boss Sean Dyche, who was hoping to sign Miura to accompany 38-year-old Ashley Young as part of his team’s exciting charge into the future.
BAIR MINIMUM
IF the whole point of Bazball is taking 20 wickets as quickly as possible, why are England persisting with Jonny Bairstow behind the stumps?
Ben Stokes’ loyalty to his fellow ginger nut is commendable but questionable considering Bairstow’s performances in the first three Ashes Tests.
Ben Foakes is universally recognised as the superior wicketkeeper and it’s not as if Bairstow has been making amends for his dropped catches with a ton of runs with the bat.
With Australia 2-1 up and the series so finally balanced, there can be no margin for error at Old Trafford next week.
So let’s hope that butterfingers Bairstow doesn’t prove to be a risk too far for Stokes and head coach Brendon McCullum.
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TYSON TIRADE
TYSON FURY has written off Francis Ngannou as “a big, stiff tramp” and reckons he could drink 15 pints and still beat the former MMA champion.
The two men are due to meet in an exhibition bout in Saudi Arabia later this year and while Fury might be a world champion heavyweight in the ring, as a promoter he’s a complete flyweight.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
