Harry Kane must secure a transfer in pursuit of trophies
As Manchester City celebrated their UEFA Champions League victory at the end of the 2022-23 season, I couldn't help but spare a thought for Harry Kane. The Tottenham Hotspur and England striker missed out on a move to Manchester City in the summer of 2021 when Daniel Levy refused to sell him. The 29-year-old must have been watching the game and wondering what might have been.
It must have been particularly irksome for Kane to see Jack Grealish lifting his fourth major trophy during his time at Manchester City. Kane's England teammate joined Manchester City in the same summer when Kane wanted to move.
Kane couldn't release himself from his Tottenham Hotspur contract, which still had three years to run. Grealish's transfer was straightforward with Manchester City simply having to pay his £100 million release clause to secure his services from Aston Villa.
While Harry Kane has failed to win anything in those intervening two years Grealish is now a two-time Premier League champion, an FA Cup and a UEFA Champions League winner. Grealish's success should now motivate Harry Kane to do everything in his power to secure a transfer away from Tottenham Hotspur this summer.
How he must regret signing that six-year contract back in 2018 with no transfer release clause. And how he must regret not digging his heels in two summers ago and pushing harder for that transfer.
Harry Kane still performing at the peak of his powers
Fortunately for Kane, he is still performing at the very peak of his powers. After putting the disappointment of not securing a move away behind him, he has been nothing short of outstanding for Tottenham over the last two seasons. In that time Kane has played 99 matches in all competitions, scoring 59 goals and adding 15 assists.
That form has ensured he continues to attract the attention of some of the top teams in Europe. German champions Bayern Munich are reported to have lodged their first bid for Kane's services with Tottenham Hotspur as per the Athletic. Harry Kane is reported to want to make the move to Germany, and if that is the case he should do everything he can to ensure it happens.
Quite simply Kane has given everything he possibly can to Tottenham Hotspur. During his time at the club he has made 435 appearances, scored 280 goals and claimed 64 assists. He has an impressive collection of individual awards and records. However, he only has a UEFA Champions League and two League Cup runners-up medals to show for his considerable efforts.
Bayern Munich is a club that knows how to win. They have won 11 consecutive Bundesliga crowns, and during that time have also won five German Cups, six German Super Cups and two UEFA Champions League titles.
Harry Kane can't be blamed for wanting to win trophies. It is the one major thing lacking from his career, and he simply shouldn't take no for an answer. The best players in the world often conduct their careers as they see fit. Cristiano Ronaldo is a fine example of that.
Players with such power, that they are able to shape their own careers and secure the moves which they think are best for them, regardless of who they are playing for. Robert Lewandowski is another example of that, securing his longed for move to Barcelona last summer when Bayern Munich would have loved him to stay.
Harry Kane is in the same bracket of player. He should no longer be attached to Tottenham Hotspur. If he has to go on strike to make it happen then he should. He is simply too good to waste another year of his career at Spurs when he could be challenging for trophies at one of the best football clubs in world football.