Former Premier League manager Alex McLeish has tipped Tottenham star Harry Kane to quit the Lilywhites for a Champions League contender in the summer transfer window.
The Lowdown: Kane's future is uncertain
Daniel Levy suffered a testing summer last year after the England captain made it clear that he wanted to join Pep Guardiola at Manchester City.
The Sky Blues made a staggering £125m bid for the striker, with Spurs sensationally rebuffing the offer as Levy desperately sought to keep hold of his most prized asset.
As reported by The Athletic’s David Ornstein, the 28-year-old will assess Tottenham’s progress over the remainder of the season before he makes a decision over his Spurs future. The club will not initiate contract talks due to their failed attempts last time out, so it is up to the striker to do that himself.
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The Latest: McLeish’s verdict on Kane
According to former Scotland manager McLeish, Kane will leave Tottenham in the summer.
Speaking to Football Insider, he claimed: “My prediction would be that he will leave.
“I think I said that before and he didn’t, but I have to believe Harry will try and get to one of the bigger clubs. Spurs are a huge club, don’t get me wrong. But he’ll want to go to a club that are achieving far more consistently than Spurs.
“If Spurs become an incessant winning team, it’s possible he’ll want to stay with the manager. He will then believe the manager has re-galvanized the team.
“He could possibly see him as the father figure-type thing. Saying things like: ‘I love him, I’m not going to go, I see a future and we’re going to win things with this guy.’
“But my money would be on him going to a club who have a better chance of winning not only the league but the Champions League.”
The Verdict: Conte’s key man
It would be disastrous for Antonio Conte and his project at the north London club if his star striker chooses to pursue a move elsewhere in the summer.
When compared with players in the same position over the past year, Kane ranks in the 92nd percentile for total shots, the 91st percentile for non-penalty expected goals plus expected assists, and in the 90th percentile for progressive passes made (via FB Ref).
Despite having a poor season by his own standards, the England international remains Tottenham’s top scorer this season, with 16 goals in all competitions.
With few alternatives in the centre-forward position, this demonstrates just how important he is to Conte and Spurs. However, at 28, he may feel that he is approaching a crossroads in his career in terms of contending for major prizes, which makes McLeish's prediction a plausible one.
In other news: Antonio Conte green-lights Spurs move for new top transfer target