"He loses his legacy" – Paul Merson says world-class player's transfer to Chelsea 'can't happen'
Arsenal great Paul Merson has asserted that Harry Kane could ruin his Tottenham Hotspur legacy if he opted to move to Chelsea in the future.
Kane, 29, has been a force to be reckoned with in the Premier League for the past eight seasons. Since establishing himself as a starter in the second half of the 2013-14 campaign, he has netted 266 goals and laid out 62 assists in 415 games across all competitions for his outfit.
A complete striker renowned for his finishing and heading, Kane has been crucial to the north London outfit's recent rise in stature. So far, he has guided his team to a second-place finish in the Premier League, a UEFA Champions League final, and two League Cup runners-up spots.
In his column for Sky Sports, Merson shared his thoughts on Kane's future and his established legacy at Tottenham Hotspur. He wrote:
"Is Harry Kane going to go for individual records or is he going to go for medals? I don't see him winning anything at Tottenham. He's going to beat Jimmy Greaves' goalscoring record, which is a phenomenal feat. He's also got a chance of beating Alan Shearer's Premier League record at Tottenham."
Ruling out a move to Stamford Bridge in the future, Merson continued:
"Kane to Chelsea? That can't happen. If he comes to Chelsea, he loses his legacy at Tottenham. Tottenham fans would go mad. For him to go over to the Blues, it would be the next notch down from going to Arsenal. Chelsea and Tottenham don't get on."
Chelsea could dip into the transfer market for a first-choice striker in the upcoming summer as Kai Havertz, Joao Felix and the incoming Christopher Nkunku seem to favor a withdrawn role. On the other hand, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and out-on-loan Romelu Lukaku's future at the five-time Premier League champions are still up in the air.
Chelsea star Conor Gallagher is tipped to secure a move to Premier League rivals
Speaking on talkSPORT, Rangers legend Ally McCoist stated that Blues midfielder Conor Gallagher would be a perfect fit for Newcastle United head coach Eddie Howe's pressing system. He elaborated:
"Conor Gallagher's the kind of player, I think, that Newcastle should be going for. He's young and hungry... that would make quite a signing. The way he plays the game, Newcastle fans would really take to him. He's high energy and great effort. Perfect for them."
According to The Telegraph, Newcastle is assessing the possibility of snapping up Gallagher, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, and Hakim Ziyech in the winter transfer window. However, the west London outfit hopes to retain the midfield pair to properly tackle their injury crisis.