3 Reasons why Harry Kane should leave Tottenham Hotspur | Premier League 2019-20
While football fans continue to grapple with the deferment of the current season owing to the ongoing COVID-19 crisis, the Tottenham Hotspur faithful have been dealt with the worrying prospect of Harry Kane's departure after the striker's recent comments raised questions over his future at the club.
When asked about his future with the London outfit on a live Instagram broadcast with Sky Sports pundit Jamie Redknapp, Kane replied:
"I love Spurs, I'll always love Spurs but I've always said if I don't feel we're progressing as a team or going in the right direction, I'm not someone to stay there for the sake of it."
He added: "I'm an ambitious player, I want to improve, get better and become one of the top, top players. It all depends on what happens as a team and how we progress as a team. So it's not a definite I'm going to stay there forever but it's not a no either."
The England skipper, whose contract with Spurs expires in 2024, has been sidelined with a hamstring injury since New Year's Day and was initially expected to return to the pitch later this month.
The 26-year-old has been linked with a series of European giants ahead of the summer transfer window and is spoiled for choice if he decides to switch allegiances, with the likes of Manchester United and Manchester City understood to be interested in acquiring his services. Furthermore, his comments on Instagram, coupled with Spurs' troubles this campaign, will surely keep his admirers on their toes this summer.
Having said that, we take a look at three reasons why Kane would benefit from a transfer away from Tottenham Hotspur at the end of the season:
#1 Tottenham Hotspur no longer serve as the right environment for him
If Tottenham Hotspur's drive and ambition were not questioned in the previous campaigns, massive doubts have certainly been raised in the current season. Kane himself is aware of the predicament and acknowledged that the team has not been "progressing" or "going in the right direction" in what appeared to be a painful admission of his frustrations with the club.
Spurs are seven points away from the top four spots in the Premier League and are already out of the Champions League and the FA Cup. Besides, their chances of overcoming the likes of Chelsea, Manchester United, and Wolverhampton Wanderers to secure a top-four finish appear incredibly slim, even with the return of Kane.
It is also worth mentioning that the North London giants do not have the financial stability to compete with the colossal titans of Europe in the next few years. The club has just spent more than £750 million on the new stadium which means they do not have the economic power to construct a title-winning squad anytime soon. This conundrum, coupled with Daniel Levy's keenness for a bargain in the transfer market, means there may be very little room for significant improvements in the personnel department, at least in the foreseeable future.
Despite his recurring injuries, Kane's best years are still ahead of him which means the chances of his improvement and success are relatively higher with a transfer to a more ambitious club.
#2 No guarantee of success under Jose Mourinho
The decision to sack Mauricio Pochettino and replace him with Jose Mourinho in November last year has failed to inspire an upturn of fortunes at Tottenham Hotspur.
Despite an initial period of revival at the beginning of the Portuguese tactician's term, the players have largely struggled to establish their identity as a team under the new manager. The former Manchester United boss has failed to significantly improve his side's porous defence and appears confused with the way he wants to utilise the resources at his disposal.
Mourinho's appointment was previously viewed as one that could reap huge rewards for Spurs, considering his reputation as a serial winner. However, the North Londoners have only witnessed minute improvement under the 57-year-old's tutelage and have displayed inconsistent flashes of brilliance at best.
His tenure at Old Trafford may have signalled the idea that his best years are behind him and highlighted the possibility that he is now simply a shadow of his former self. Having said that, it would make no sense for Kane to remain at Tottenham and await the return of the Special One, especially when he also has to consider the time left for him to attain success elsewhere.
#3 Lower chances of winning titles with Spurs
Kane has been quite vocal about his desire to win trophies with Tottenham Hotspur but his recent comments suggest that he is frustrated with the club's lack of agency and may be looking to fulfil his ambitions elsewhere.
Spurs have failed to win a major trophy since the 2008 EFL Cup. So far, Kane has only managed runner-up medals in the League Cup and the UEFA Champions League, besides the Audi Cup he lifted with the side in 2019. This is an alarmingly scarce number of honours for a player considered to be one of the most prolific strikers in European football.
The London giants have already been knocked out of the Champions League and the FA Cup this season and are struggling to secure a top-four berth in the Premier League. The odds that they will win a trophy under Mourinho also seem unlikely in the foreseeable future, which means that Kane's best chances at lifting a major trophy lie elsewhere.