Grim reading and it'd just be denial to believe it's not accurate
Harry Kane wants to play for Pep Guardiola at Manchester City
Wednesday May 19 2021, 12.01am, The Times
Manchester City is Harry Kane’s preferred destination and he will make renewed efforts this week to urge the Tottenham Hotspur chairman to sell him in the summer.
Kane, 27, believes he has a verbal agreement with Daniel Levy that would allow the centre forward to leave after being convinced to remain at the north London club for another year last summer, when City inquired about his availability. The England captain has three years left on his six-year contract at Tottenham, which they believe puts them in a strong position to retain their star striker unless they receive a bid of at least £150 million.
City remain keen on Kane, and The Times understands that they would be his first choice ahead of Manchester United. He would welcome the opportunity to work with Pep Guardiola, though he is also attracted by the idea of returning United to their title-winning ways. Chelsea have expressed an interest in Kane too.
City initially regarded Kane as an alternative option to their top transfer target, Erling Haaland, but they are now keen on the Englishman as they believe that the 20-year-old Borussia Dortmund striker could cost too much this summer.
Kane hopes City will make an offer that Levy will consider. City, for their part, believe £150 million is too high a price, given it is more than double their record transfer fee, the £65 million that they paid Benfica for Rúben Dias last year.
Edinson Cavani, the 34-year-old Uruguay striker, signed a one-year contract extension at Old Trafford last week but Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, the United manager, is an admirer of Kane. It is unclear whether the United board would sanction a serious offer for another striker when their primary objective is to strengthen the right wing, with Jadon Sancho the top target.
Levy and Marina Granovskaia, the Chelsea director and chief negotiator, are understood to have a good relationship but the Spurs chairman does not want to sell to their London rivals.
Kane’s representatives believe that an upfront fee of £150 million is unrealistic and would have to be broken down into add-ons. As The Times revealed yesterday, United are considering using Jesse Lingard as part of any offer but are wary about negotiating with Levy.
Kane, who told Levy a month ago that he wanted to leave, was aware of his reputation as a tough businessman but would feel hurt if the Spurs chairman does not keep his word to let him leave this summer. He believed the gentlemen’s agreement was well known at Tottenham and plans to address the issue with Levy before the club’s final game of the season, away to Leicester City, on Sunday.
Spurs could face an exodus of their best players, with the captain, Hugo Lloris, and the forward Son Heung-min among those who would consider their futures if Kane left. Lloris has a year left on his contract and Son has been in talks about extending a deal that has two years remaining.
Cavani’s extended deal has diminished United’s desperation to sign a new striker like Kane
Kane trained yesterday at the club’s Enfield facility before what could be his final home game for Tottenham, but there is believed to have been no mention of a potential transfer.
Ryan Mason, Kane’s close friend and the interim Tottenham head coach, said the striker is expected to start against Aston Villa and predicts a positive reaction from fans. Asked whether Kane had requested to leave the club, Mason, 29, said: “No, not that I’m aware of. All of my conversations I’ve had with H have been about the game the other day and also preparing for the game [tonight]. So, no, I don’t know.”
Tottenham are believed to have told Kane to stay at his boyhood club and be remembered like Francesco Totti, a reference to the Italy striker who spent his entire career at Roma. Kane won the Golden Boot at the 2018 World Cup finals in Russia but has been vocal about his desire to win team trophies.
Mason said he could not answer questions on Kane’s situation but added: “What I will say is that when you’re a player and you’re paid to represent a football club and you’re signed for that football club, the focus is on that club. As professionals we are paid to come in and work, to come in and help the team, whether that be as a player, a coach, a groundsman, a canteen [worker].”
Mason’s words came 12 hours after Tottenham released a statement in response to the news that Kane wanted to leave. It read: “We have a season to finish and we want to finish it as strongly as possible. That’s all everyone should be focusing on.”
Who is best fit for striker?
Man City
Pep Guardiola has already expressed his admiration for Kane, famously describing Tottenham as “the Harry Kane team” four years ago. He would love to sign the England captain as City have played without a centre forward for most of the season and Sergio Agüero is leaving in the summer. Erling Haaland and Kane are Guardiola’s top two choices, but City are aware that signing either player this summer would be expensive. Haaland is reported to have a £65 million release clause in his contract at Borussia Dortmund but it only kicks in at the end of next season. When Haaland, 20, was being hawked around Europe last month by Mino Raiola, his agent, Guardiola suggested that City may look for cheaper options. “With these prices it’s impossible — we cannot afford it,” he said.
Man Utd
United already have an established centre forward in Edinson Cavani, who last week agreed a one-year contract extension, but the opportunity to sign a striker of Kane’s calibre does not come around too often, so Ole Gunnar Solskjaer would certainly like to bring him to Old Trafford. Financially, the pandemic has hit United hard though and last year Ed Woodward, the executive vice-chairman, said speculation he could bid “hundreds of millions of pounds” for a player “seems to ignore the realities that face the sport”. Since then, the Glazer family — faced with fan protests — have promised to invest in the squad this summer, but there are other areas of weakness, such as on the right wing, where no fewer than six players have been tried this season. Jadon Sancho is the club’s top target in that position.
Chelsea
History tells us that Chelsea take opportunities to sign world-class strikers. Andriy Shevchenko and Fernando Torres were both bought by the owner, Roman Abramovich, for what was then considered extreme cost — Torres’s £50 million move from Liverpool in 2011 was a British record. Chelsea are one of the few clubs capable of negotiating a fee with Daniel Levy, the Tottenham chairman who values Kane at £150 million. If Abramovich gave the green light to Marina Granovskaia, a director, and if the head coach, Thomas Tuchel, wanted him then Chelsea would be a viable option. There appear to be two obstacles. First, a London rivalry that could risk a feud with fans of Kane’s boyhood club, and an uneasy relationship between Levy and the Chelsea hierarchy dating back to a failed move for Luka Modric in 2011, yet the episode has been forgotten at Stamford Bridge.
Harry Kane wants to play for Pep Guardiola at Manchester City
Wednesday May 19 2021, 12.01am, The Times
Manchester City is Harry Kane’s preferred destination and he will make renewed efforts this week to urge the Tottenham Hotspur chairman to sell him in the summer.
Kane, 27, believes he has a verbal agreement with Daniel Levy that would allow the centre forward to leave after being convinced to remain at the north London club for another year last summer, when City inquired about his availability. The England captain has three years left on his six-year contract at Tottenham, which they believe puts them in a strong position to retain their star striker unless they receive a bid of at least £150 million.
City remain keen on Kane, and The Times understands that they would be his first choice ahead of Manchester United. He would welcome the opportunity to work with Pep Guardiola, though he is also attracted by the idea of returning United to their title-winning ways. Chelsea have expressed an interest in Kane too.
City initially regarded Kane as an alternative option to their top transfer target, Erling Haaland, but they are now keen on the Englishman as they believe that the 20-year-old Borussia Dortmund striker could cost too much this summer.
Kane hopes City will make an offer that Levy will consider. City, for their part, believe £150 million is too high a price, given it is more than double their record transfer fee, the £65 million that they paid Benfica for Rúben Dias last year.
Edinson Cavani, the 34-year-old Uruguay striker, signed a one-year contract extension at Old Trafford last week but Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, the United manager, is an admirer of Kane. It is unclear whether the United board would sanction a serious offer for another striker when their primary objective is to strengthen the right wing, with Jadon Sancho the top target.
Levy and Marina Granovskaia, the Chelsea director and chief negotiator, are understood to have a good relationship but the Spurs chairman does not want to sell to their London rivals.
Kane’s representatives believe that an upfront fee of £150 million is unrealistic and would have to be broken down into add-ons. As The Times revealed yesterday, United are considering using Jesse Lingard as part of any offer but are wary about negotiating with Levy.
Kane, who told Levy a month ago that he wanted to leave, was aware of his reputation as a tough businessman but would feel hurt if the Spurs chairman does not keep his word to let him leave this summer. He believed the gentlemen’s agreement was well known at Tottenham and plans to address the issue with Levy before the club’s final game of the season, away to Leicester City, on Sunday.
Spurs could face an exodus of their best players, with the captain, Hugo Lloris, and the forward Son Heung-min among those who would consider their futures if Kane left. Lloris has a year left on his contract and Son has been in talks about extending a deal that has two years remaining.
Cavani’s extended deal has diminished United’s desperation to sign a new striker like Kane
Kane trained yesterday at the club’s Enfield facility before what could be his final home game for Tottenham, but there is believed to have been no mention of a potential transfer.
Ryan Mason, Kane’s close friend and the interim Tottenham head coach, said the striker is expected to start against Aston Villa and predicts a positive reaction from fans. Asked whether Kane had requested to leave the club, Mason, 29, said: “No, not that I’m aware of. All of my conversations I’ve had with H have been about the game the other day and also preparing for the game [tonight]. So, no, I don’t know.”
Tottenham are believed to have told Kane to stay at his boyhood club and be remembered like Francesco Totti, a reference to the Italy striker who spent his entire career at Roma. Kane won the Golden Boot at the 2018 World Cup finals in Russia but has been vocal about his desire to win team trophies.
Mason said he could not answer questions on Kane’s situation but added: “What I will say is that when you’re a player and you’re paid to represent a football club and you’re signed for that football club, the focus is on that club. As professionals we are paid to come in and work, to come in and help the team, whether that be as a player, a coach, a groundsman, a canteen [worker].”
Mason’s words came 12 hours after Tottenham released a statement in response to the news that Kane wanted to leave. It read: “We have a season to finish and we want to finish it as strongly as possible. That’s all everyone should be focusing on.”
Who is best fit for striker?
Man City
Pep Guardiola has already expressed his admiration for Kane, famously describing Tottenham as “the Harry Kane team” four years ago. He would love to sign the England captain as City have played without a centre forward for most of the season and Sergio Agüero is leaving in the summer. Erling Haaland and Kane are Guardiola’s top two choices, but City are aware that signing either player this summer would be expensive. Haaland is reported to have a £65 million release clause in his contract at Borussia Dortmund but it only kicks in at the end of next season. When Haaland, 20, was being hawked around Europe last month by Mino Raiola, his agent, Guardiola suggested that City may look for cheaper options. “With these prices it’s impossible — we cannot afford it,” he said.
Man Utd
United already have an established centre forward in Edinson Cavani, who last week agreed a one-year contract extension, but the opportunity to sign a striker of Kane’s calibre does not come around too often, so Ole Gunnar Solskjaer would certainly like to bring him to Old Trafford. Financially, the pandemic has hit United hard though and last year Ed Woodward, the executive vice-chairman, said speculation he could bid “hundreds of millions of pounds” for a player “seems to ignore the realities that face the sport”. Since then, the Glazer family — faced with fan protests — have promised to invest in the squad this summer, but there are other areas of weakness, such as on the right wing, where no fewer than six players have been tried this season. Jadon Sancho is the club’s top target in that position.
Chelsea
History tells us that Chelsea take opportunities to sign world-class strikers. Andriy Shevchenko and Fernando Torres were both bought by the owner, Roman Abramovich, for what was then considered extreme cost — Torres’s £50 million move from Liverpool in 2011 was a British record. Chelsea are one of the few clubs capable of negotiating a fee with Daniel Levy, the Tottenham chairman who values Kane at £150 million. If Abramovich gave the green light to Marina Granovskaia, a director, and if the head coach, Thomas Tuchel, wanted him then Chelsea would be a viable option. There appear to be two obstacles. First, a London rivalry that could risk a feud with fans of Kane’s boyhood club, and an uneasy relationship between Levy and the Chelsea hierarchy dating back to a failed move for Luka Modric in 2011, yet the episode has been forgotten at Stamford Bridge.
