WILLIAM GALLAS believes Mikel Arteta and Harry Kane should both leave North London.
The pair have been tipped for exits for very different reasons in recent months – Arteta out of his depth as Arsenal boss and striker Kane for outgrowing Tottenham.
Gallas is confident Arteta will develop into an elite manager one day – but reckons it was a ‘mistake’ to appoint the Spaniard as the Gunners missed out on European football for the first time since 1995-96.
The Frenchman, 43, told SunSport: “Mikel Arteta was not ready yet to manage a club like Arsenal.
“Okay, he was assistant coach at Manchester City. But he had never managed a team. It is completely different.
“The board made a mistake picking him. I’m sure he will be a great manager but you need to have experience to manage a big club.
“To be honest, it is a great shame for the Arsenal fans after finishing eighth.
“Arsenal is not the same Arsenal we knew 18, 20 years ago. We had players who were strong with strong personalities.”
But while Gallas thinks Arteta needs more time to be at the top level, the opposite is true for Spurs ace Kane who is itching to push on.
Despite picking up three Premier League and one World Cup golden boots, the England captain turns 28 next month and is yet to win a major trophy.
BETTING SPECIAL – GET ENGLAND TO WIN EURO 2020 AND HARRY KANE TO BE TOP SCORER AT 22/1
WIN £50,000 with Dream Team Euros
Dream Team Euros is HERE!
The best fantasy football game to accompany Euro 2020 has arrived.
And you can play absolutely FREE for your chance to win the £50,000 jackpot.
CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR FREE!
Dream Team Euros
- £50,000 jackpot
- The best fantasy football game this summer
- Play in mini-leagues against your mates, colleagues, family members – and some hand-picked celebrities
- FREE to play
He told his boyhood club he wants out – even before Spurs’ place in the third-tier Europa Conference League was confirmed.
Kane was around the first team towards the end of Gallas’ three-year stint at White Hart Lane between 2010 and 2013 and they played together between the striker’s various EFL loans.
The defender was impressed by what he saw from a driven young striker ‘really focused on scoring goals’ prepared to make the sacrifices and put in the hard yards to be successful.
But the two-time Premier League winner is convinced now is the time for Kane to move on with three English rivals leading the transfer chase.
Gallas added exclusively to 888sport: “To be honest, Harry needs to leave Tottenham. He has to because they did not give him the opportunity to play in the Champions League next season.
“Harry is a world-class striker and top world-class strikers have to play in the Champions League.
“I know Harry wants to play in that competition and win trophies. When you have the talent like him you have to win trophies. For me, he has to leave.
“He played many years for Tottenham and did a great job but sometimes you have to be selfish. Fans of the club have to wish him all the best.”
There are so many clubs who can give Harry what he wants to win… he will have the choice and he needs to make the right decision
William Gallas on Harry Kane
Gallas continued: “There are so many clubs who can give him what he wants to win: the Champions League and Premier League.
“He can be at Chelsea, Manchester United or even Manchester City. He will have the choice and he needs to make the right decision at the crucial time.
“I played and trained with him. He knew what he wanted when he was training with us. He was really focused on scoring goals, his first touch.
“I am not surprised when he started playing for the first team and scoring. After training, he stayed out to practise shooting.
“When you want to achieve something, you know what you have to do – you have to make sacrifices, you have to work hard and Harry did it very well. That’s why he is the top scorer in England.”
Gallas’ former clubs have endured mixed fortunes with Arsenal and Tottenham’s woes a stark contrast to Chelsea’s Champions League success and top-four finish under Thomas Tuchel.
And he is expecting big things from the Blues next term – but fired another stinging blow at the North London rivals.
The 84-cap international said: “I predicted one of the London clubs would win the title last year but it didn’t happen and I was a little disappointed.
“Chelsea have the best chance of winning the Premier League next season because of how the played in the Champions League, every team will be afraid.
“If Chelsea buy a world-class striker, they will win it. From those three, Chelsea have the best chance.
“To be a big club, you have to qualify for the Champions League – only big clubs qualify for the Champions League.
“That’s why City, United, Chelsea and Liverpool qualified. Not Arsenal and Tottenham – they are not big clubs.
“Okay, Arsenal is a big club with history but it’s been a long time since they won the Premier League so they need to get back. And Tottenham, it is a long, long time since they won the league.”
- William Gallas revealed which country will win Euro 2021 this summer on the 888sport blog. Head to 888sport for the latest football odds
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
