Tottenham are determined to resist Manchester United’s attempts to sign Harry Kane this summer.
Spurs chairman Daniel Levy is adamant that they will not sell the England captain to a Premier League rival even though Kane’s contract only has 12 months to run. They are ready to run the risk of allowing Kane to leave on a free transfer in the summer of 2024 than cashing in now which would leave the club in even greater turmoil.
United boss Erik ten Hag has made Kane a top striker target as they look to strengthen their squad this summer but Spurs do not want to do business on their top scorer and talisman. The fact Kane could be a free agent next year may put off foreign clubs from making a huge bid now and it seems highly likely that he will stay at Tottenham for at least next season.
Tottenham will certainly not give up on keeping Kane beyond his current deal as they believe his loyalty plus also the incentive of closing in on the Premier League goals record - he is now just 47 behind Alan Shearer’s 260 - could persuade him to stay even longer.
Kane, who turns 30 in July, also knows that he could have the pick of his clubs next year as a free agent when, if he did decide to leave, he would also command a mega contract.
Kane spoke after Spurs' 4-1 thrashing of Leeds on the final day of the season and was non-committal over his future, insisting that the season hadn’t gone as planned and that he wasn’t paying attention to the speculation over his future.
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"It has been a disappointing season," Kane told BT Sport . "We can't let this win dust over that. A lot to work on. We have had to show fight in some moments. A club this size should not be finishing eighth and we need to go away, enjoy a break and look how we can improve.
"It is part and parcel of being a footballer [speculation about leaving] especially when you are at the top of your game. I have focused on this season and helping the team as much as possible. I am just looking forward to a nice break and some games with England."
Speaking after Tottenham's 4-1 win at Leeds, Ryan Mason said: “When I go on my summer holidays I would hope and expect that everyone inside of our training ground knows who I am, who my team is and what we stand for.
“The hope and expectation is that you guys and everyone else sees that too. I know we’ve done a great job. I really do.”
