5 possible destinations for Harry Kane this summer
The 2022-23 Premier League season has finally ended and Harry Kane has yet again proved that he is one of the finest strikers in European football.
While Erling Haaland swept up the Premier League Golden Boot (amongst other awards) for his 36 goals, it has led to Kane's achievements being understated. The England captain's 30 league strikes for a lackluster Spurs side this season is commendable.
Unfortunately, this has been the story for the better part of his Tottenham Hotspur career, which has led to him thinking about his future at the club in recent seasons. With only a year left on his contract, this summer might be time for Kane to seek the move that could allow him to complement his goals with trophies.
On that note, let's take a look at 5 possible destinations for Harry Kane this summer.
#5 Chelsea
Chelsea recently announced the arrival of former Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino as their new manager.
The Argentine tactician worked wonders during his time at the N17 and turned several young Tottenham Hotspur players into world beaters. One of them was Harry Kane, who turned into of the most elite strikers in world football under Pochettino.
The centre-forward scored 170 times in 242 appearances across competitions under him as he nearly spearheaded them to an elusive trophy. However, they fell short on multiple occasions.
A reunion could now be on the cards, albeit it is a long shot. While Pochettino would appreciate the efficiency, effectiveness and Premier League experience of Harry Kane, the Blues already have Romelu Lukaku at the club.
Lukaku has spent the 2022-23 season on loan at Inter Milan and Chelsea's new boss is yet to make a decision on the striker's future.
If Lukaku does not find a home at Stamford Bridge under Pochettino, Kane would be a great fit. His ability to hold the ball up and allow wingers to run beyond him coupled with his outstanding goal-scoring capabilities could help Chelsea get back to the top of the Premier League.
However, it would be a herculean task to convince Harry Kane to join his boyhood club's arch-rivals, in addition to the prospect of also winning trophies with them. Though multiple hurdles will be in the way, it is a viable option for the Spurs talisman if he does decide to leave Tottenham this summer.
#4 Paris Saint-Germain
Paris Saint-Germain retained their Ligue 1 trophy last weekend but their misery in the UEFA Champions League continued this season.
The French champions were comprehensively knocked out in the Round of 16 stage of the competition by Bayern Munich. The Galaticos project at the club has failed miserably and the inability to build a coherent team has come under the spotlight more than ever before.
Moreover, Lionel Messi is set to leave, while various reports have linked Neymar Jr. with an exit as well. Hence, some attacking reinforcements are due, but PSG need to make the proper decision.
While Harry Kane does qualify as a big-name signing, he could bring some sort of stability at the club. He has enormous leadership experience, something that is key for anybody playing alongside Kylian Mbappe. The duo could form a fantastic strike-force, like one managed by Harry Kane alongside Son Heung-Min at Spurs.
The England star's injury record has been stellar, as he has missed only five games through injury in the last three seasons. Additionally, his goal-scoring feats in the UCL are also impeccable, with 21 strikes in 32 games.
If the Parisians sign good players in other departments as well, Harry Kane would be the cherry on top of the cake and help the club achieve European success. Bringing in Kane alongside Marco Asensio and Manuel Ugarte, who are close to joining to PSG (as per Fabrizio Romano), could prove to be a very fruitful decision.
#3 Real Madrid
Real Madrid have been one of the most well-oiled machines in Europe in recent seasons, but the club endured a middling 2022-23 season.
While they did lift the Copa del Rey, they missed out on the La Liga title to Barcelona. They were also drubbed 5-1 on aggregate by Manchester City in the Champions League semi-final.
Los Blancos are evidently housing a number of aging legs and certainly need to refresh the squad. Jude Bellingham is increasingly likely to join them from Borussia Dortmund to add to their young midfield core of Fede Valverde, Eduardo Camavinga and Aurelien Tchouameni.
However, their attack needs attention and the club need to add a goalscorer to go along with the youthful brilliance of Vinicius Jr and Rodrygo Goes. Karim Benzema has led the line sumptuously since Cristiano Ronaldo's departure, but he will leave the club at the end of this month.
If Madrid want to keep the pace with their European rivals, signing a player like Harry Kane could go a long way. Like Benzema, the Spurs striker is adept at working with dynamic and quick wingers and also excels at connecting the midfield & the attack.
His goal-scoring antics are also evidently brilliant, with the 29-year-old's displays for a largely poor Tottenham side this season are yet another indication of the same.
While Florentino Perez has moved away from the Galatico transfer strategy in recent seasons, they have been keen on signing Kylian Mbappe. The Frenchman recently pledged his allegiance to PSG for next season.
Given the lack of goalscorers who are also adept at link-up play in the market, Harry Kane could be the answer to Real Madrid's potential attacking concerns.
#2 Bayern Munich
Bayern Munich recently clinched their 11th consecutive Bundesliga title. They produced some unbelievable heroics on the last day of the season with Borussia Dortmund suffering a home loss to miss out on the title.
However, this was their lowest points tally in the league across the last 13 seasons. Their European dreams were also quashed convincingly by Manchester City as they lost 4-1 on aggregate in the quarterfinals.
It is not a co-incidence that all of this has happened in a campaign where the club have been without a recgonised top quality striker. Robert Lewandowski was Bayern's talisman for nearly a decade before he joined Barcelona last summer.
The club did not sign a replacement and the effects of it could be seen this season.
Signing Harry Kane would make a lot of sense for the reigning 11-time German champions. The England ace, as mentioned before, has the experience of leading the line amongst the best players in the world and can score goals out of nothing.
Moreover, with Bayern dominating possession in most games, a tall and burly striker like Kane would have a field day in attack, especially in the Bundesliga.
This move might also not necessarily hurt the sentiments of Spurs fans as he would not be joining another English team. Additionally, Bayern are stacked in most other areas and may not need to make any other big-money signings.
Thomas Tuchel needs to deliver trophies in his first full season and Harry Kane could be a vital piece in the jigsaw. While the fee could be a stumbling block, it would also depend on whether Kane would give up on a chance to become the Premier League's all-time top scorer.
The Englishman is currently 47 goals behind Alan Shearer in the English top-flight's all-time goalscoring charts.
#1 Manchester United
Manchester United enjoyed a relatively succesful 2022-23 campaign in what was Erik Ten Hag's debut season at the club.
The Dutch manager delivered the Carabao Cup while also finishing third in the Premier League. An FA Cup victory would have put the cherry on top of the cake, but Manchester City's brilliance saw them lose 2-1 in the final.
Regardless, the Red Devils can be happy about the progress they have made this season and it is now time to build on it.
It has been reported that the club are looking to add a striker to the team as they have functioned without one since Romelu Lukaku departed in 2019. Cristiano Ronaldo and Edinson Cavani have been at the club since then but their aging bodies could never sustain the challenges of an entire season.
Hence, it is no surprise that the club are reportedly trying to sign Harry Kane this summer.
🏴 Harry Kane is hugely admired by Ten Hag and has long been regarded as the ideal signing for Manchester United. He has a good relationship with Marcus Rashford and United’s return to the Champions League has strengthened their hand. [Telegraph] #MUFC
🚨🏴 Harry Kane is hugely admired by Ten Hag and has long been regarded as the ideal signing for Manchester United. He has a good relationship with Marcus Rashford and United’s return to the Champions League has strengthened their hand. [Telegraph] #MUFC https://t.co/rKGbENdByo
Kane already enjoys a good relationship with England compatriots Harry Maguire, Marcus Rashford, Luke Shaw and Jadon Sancho. Moreover, he can complement the attack brilliantly with United having some of the best wingers in the league at the moment.
If Ten Hag's men are to compete with Manchester City next season, having arguably the best striker in the league after Erling Haaland is not a bad way to go. It would add goals to a side that has not completely utilized the talent of a world-class creator like Bruno Fernandes so far.
Harry Kane could propel Manchester United to their glory days again while also staying on track to break the Premier League goalscoring record.