Jermaine Jenas says that Harry Kane "deserves better" than suffering Tottenham's ongoing mess - and has questioned the club's stance on Mauricio Pochettino.
Kane, 29, was part of the side who were spanked 6-1 on Sunday by top-four rivals Newcastle, prompting the squad to cough up refunds for fans who travelled to St James' Park. The England captain scored Spurs' consolation goal but Jenas feels that the shambles of a performance could prove to be "the straw that breaks the camel's back."
Manchester United - coincidentally Tottenham's next opponents on Thursday - are plotting a move for Kane in the summer transfer window, with the sought-after striker's future never more in the spotlight than when he almost joined Manchester City in 2021. After Spurs sacked their second manager in four weeks following the crushing defeat, Kane has been tipped to leave but Jenas feels that United and other interested suitors won't be "enough" to tempt the 29-year-old away, despite entering the final year of his contract.
"He deserves better, there's no doubt about that," the former Tottenham, Newcastle and England midfielder told Mirror Football, speaking on behalf of Soccer Aid in his role as a presenter at this year's charity match for Unicef. "As regards to himself and his own performances, this has arguably been his best season in a Tottenham shirt, under the most difficult conditions, which tells you everything you need to know about Harry Kane and his mindset.
"Even against Newcastle, there were a couple of moments where I thought, 'he's gonna lose it here', and maybe even get himself sent off because he was getting so frustrated, but he got his goal. I was thinking this could be the straw that breaks the camel's back.
"If I'm Harry Kane I'd be looking at that thinking, 'Look, enough's enough now, I've given everything to this club and they don't wanna give me anything back, they're not putting anything in place that is even close to building anything like a championship-winning team or a team that wants to win things, why should I sacrifice this part of my career?' I'd be looking to potentially move on.
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"There's not one Tottenham fan who would blame Harry. He missed out on the opportunity of a lifetime [in 2021] for whatever reason, and if something else rears it's head this summer and he decides to leave, then that'll be the club's the fault because they haven't been able to provide him with what he deserves."
But where would Kane go if he chooses to leave Tottenham? Man United would be in the running, as well as German giants Bayern Munich, although Jenas believes that there's a lesser-talked-about option which would see him remain in the Premier League.
"The other is Newcastle," he explained. "They've got the financial structure for the foreseeable future, a team that has got stability, will play in the Champions League and grow. We don't know how much they're gonna kick on next year but I'm sure they're going to. But if I'm totally honest, I don't feel like those two options [Newcastle and Man United] are enough for Harry.
"I think that with his love for the club and the ability for Tottenham to pay him what he wants anyway - because they do have the ability to pay their best players as they've shown in the past - if those are only his only two options, I only see him staying at Spurs. Bayern Munich, I don't see him because there because he wants to beat [Alan] Shearer's [Premier League goalscoring] record.
"But if Real Madrid came up, he should get himself on a plane as soon as possible because those opportunities just don't come up often. You're talking about the most glamorous football club on the planet where he can go and win stuff, and create another legacy at a different place and have a new experience with his family as well."
One hope which plenty of Tottenham fans harboured prior to this week was that Pochettino would return to the club as manager and convince Kane to stay. Unfortunately for them, the Argentine coach now looks set to take charge of London rivals Chelsea.
Jenas spoke to Pochettino during lockdown and claims that the ex-Spurs boss was keen on a return, but it seems that under-fire chairman Daniel Levy has other plans. "Mauricio's obviously edging towards Chelsea because Tottenham don't want him. That's the only reason. If they wanted him they'd have gone and got him the minute [Antonio] Conte left," Jenas affirmed.
"I had a conversation with Mauricio during lockdown and he was very open about the fact he sees himself back at Spurs one day. So, he clearly left the door open for that to happen but for whatever reason, the club and Daniel don't see that as an option.
"It feels like a bit of a reset moment and in these moments, you're gonna need someone at the helm with a certain level of experience of managing big football clubs but also, one thing I know the fans are pretty sick of is the type of football they've had to watch for the last two or three managers. It hasn't been enjoyable for them."
With Ryan Mason in the role on a caretaker basis for Tottenham's final six games of the season, Levy and co are now searching for their next appointment. Jenas feels that style of play will be central to their decision, with one candidate making sense to him.
"Obviously Julian Nagelsmann is an option," Jenas added of the recently-sacked Bayern boss. "I personally see Brendan Rodgers as an option and I quite like that. I think the club would as well because he develops young players. That is the route I think [Levy] will go down. The Mauricio door seems to be shut in my opinion."
Tickets for Soccer Aid For UNICEF on Sunday 11th June 2023 at Old Trafford, are now on sale via www.socceraid.org.uk/tickets with a family of four able to attend for just £60 - two adults and two children.
