Back page This summer’s transfer headlines have, once again, been dominated by Harry Kane’s potential departure from Tottenham Hotspur.
In the summer of 2021, it seemed as if the England international would be heading to Manchester City for £100 million. The deal didn’t come to fruition in the end and he was linked with a move away again last summer.
However, speculation turned into concrete talks with Bayern Munich this summer and they paid an initial £86 million fee, ending his 19-year spell in North London.
But why could his departure actually benefit Spurs?
Ange Postecoglou arrived at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on a four-year contract in June after a treble-winning season with Celtic. The length of his contract, four years, infers that Daniel Levy is not looking for a short-term fix, as he did with José Mourinho, Nuno Espírito Santo and Antonio Conte.
Instead, Postecoglou has been given the funds to sign new recruits during the transfer window. James Maddison’s arrival from Leicester City showed intent while Guglielmo Vicario and Micky van de Ven are astute additions from Empoli and Wolfsburg respectively.
Kane had one year remaining on his contract and it was clear that he wasn’t going to extend his stay. Therefore, it gave Levy the opportunity to get the most money possible from his departing star.
Tottenham had a very underwhelming 2022/23 campaign, even though under Conte, they were considered to be one of the teams at the top of the Premier League table.
An eighth-place finish ensued, meaning they wouldn’t be playing in Europe for the first time since the 2009/10 season.
Kane was an influential figure for them last term, netting 30 Premier League goals and without them, they would have been in a much worse-off position.
He was a vital part of their side, not just in terms of the number of goals he scored. He often dropped into attacking midfield, bringing other forwards around him into play such as Son Heung-min and Richarlison.
Already in his first start for Bayern, the 30-year-old composedly slotted past Jiří Pavlenka to open his account in Germany. They are favourites for the Bundesliga title once again and Kane’s addition could help them reach the latter stages of the UEFA Champions League, as they did in 2020.
Bayern have finally found their Robert Lewandowski replacement and even though Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting has been a good replacement, Kane is the perfect addition and fits into their style of play.
Postecoglou wants his striker in particular to be a pressing machine and Kane probably wouldn’t have fit that role.
With this departure, he can either invest in a new striker or trust in Richarlison, who has struggled to adapt since his move from Everton last summer. Nonetheless, a new signing in the forward line is probable, despite the addition of youthful Alejo Veliz.
But now, Tottenham have the unenviable task of trying to replace Kane.
The tricky part of this saga is that selling clubs will know that Spurs have money and, as shown with Declan Rice’s departure to Arsenal, West Ham initially struggled to replace the 24-year-old.
It has to be said that Tottenham cannot replace Kane with just one player and will most likely sign a few new additions in the closing weeks of the window.
They find themselves in a situation similar to when Gareth Bale joined Real Madrid in 2013. They brought in seven new players, with only Christian Eriksen and Erik Lamela being successful purchases.
But do you think Kane’s departure could actually be beneficial for Spurs?
