The Three Lions' captain is one of the game's great goalscorers, but he might struggle to secure a summer move to a club worthy of his talent
England's Manchester City contingent turned up for international duty last week looking a little worse for wear but with three more titles to their names. Harry Kane arrived with commemorative, custom-made vinyl records for all of his team-mates to thank them for the role they had played in him becoming the Three Lions' all-time leading goalscorer.
It rather nicely summed up Kane's situation right now. In the two years since Daniel Levy refused to sell the striker to City, Pep Guardiola's side have continued to add to their impressive tally of trophies. Kane hasn't let up either, though. He remains trophy-less, but his reputation as one of the world's best centre-forwards has only been enhanced by the fact that he has continued to score freely for club and country – with his heroics at Tottenham particularly impressive.
After all, Erling Haaland won the Premier League Golden Boot, Player of the Season and Young Player of the Season after scoring a record-breaking 36 goals in his debut season in England – an undeniably outstanding achievement. However, was it really a more praiseworthy goalscoring feat than Kane netting 30 times for a terribly inconsistent Spurs team that finished eighth in the table having lost 14 of their 38 games?
It's hard not to wonder if Haaland would have enjoyed such a prolific campaign in north London – and whether Kane would have proven an even better fit for City's frontline than the Norwegian No.9. We'll never know, of course, and the worry now for Kane – and anyone that appreciates quality strikers – is that he may never get the chance to line-up for a club side truly worthy of his many talents.
Kane clearly remains one of the best attackers in world football, but recent developments in the transfer market appear to have significantly reduced the options available to him this summer…
Getty ImagesManchester United
While Kane was scoring two goals and creating another in England's rout of North Macedonia on Monday night, many United fans couldn't help but admit online that they would be overjoyed to see him strutting his stuff at Old Trafford on a weekly basis next season. There no longer appears any chance of that happening, though – and for pretty much the same reason that Kane failed to force through a move to Manchester in 2021.
Levy is still calling the shots at Spurs, which, let's be honest, is also a major source of frustration for the club's fans, who have seen their team go backwards since reaching the Champions League final four years ago through a combination of the chairman's parsimony and poor decision-making. The net result is that while the goals have continued to flow for Kane, his trophy drought shows no sign of ending anytime soon.
United, of course, have their own boardroom issues, but have, at least, shown real signs of promise and progress under new manager Erik ten Hag, who reportedly viewed Kane as the perfect striker to lead his attack in 2023-22. However, United have reportedly already given up on signing the England star because they do not believe themselves capable of meeting Levy's asking price.
Things could potentially change if a new owner arrives at Old Trafford this summer, but it's now understood that the Glazer family's sale of the club might not be concluded until next season – if at all. So, while it is believed that Kane favours a move to United above all other clubs, the deal looks dead in the water, with the club now looking at younger, more affordable alternatives.
AdvertisementGettyReal Madrid
The 'Kane-to-Madrid' story has been a real rollercoaster ride over the past few weeks. First, Karim Benzema suddenly put Florentino Perez on the look-out for a new No.9 after sensationally deciding to move to Saudi Arabia this summer – a decision so shocking that it reportedly raised both of Carlo Ancelotti's eyebrows. Talk of Kane transferring to the Bernabeu began in earnest.
But then Kylian Mbappe dropped a bombshell of his own by publicly confirming that he has no intention of extending his stay at the PSG beyond 2024. Basically, they need to sell him this summer to avoid losing him for nothing next year.
If Madrid are looking for the closest thing possible to a like-for-like replacement for Benzema, they should quite clearly pick Kane. They are both complete No.9s and share similar attributes. Kane would rather remain in his native England, but the presence of international colleague Jude Bellingham in the Spanish capital certainly would have made it easier for him to settle.
However, the whole world knows that if it comes down to a choice between Kane and Mbappe, there is only one winner. Madrid want Mbappe, and Mbappe wants Madrid – it's been that way for years. A transfer was always going to happen and it really is only a matter of when at this point. If it's this summer, there is zero chance of Kane joining too.
GettyParis Saint-Germain
But what about Kane moving to Paris to replace Mbappe – or even play alongside the 24-year-old? After all, we know that Mbappe's preference has always been to play off a quality striker. Certainly, with Lionel Messi having been dumped in rather unceremonious circumstances, and speculation still swirling around Neymar, there will be room for at least one more superstar in PSG's attack for next season.
It's worth noting that this rumour is gaining serious momentum of late, with reporting on Monday that Nasser Al-Khelaifi has made Kane his primary transfer target. Their interest certainly makes sense, too. The Qatari-backed club are capable of paying a fee that is likely to be in excess of £100 million ($128m), and Levy would be open to selling Kane to an overseas club.
However, Kane would have his doubts about joining PSG – and they wouldn't just be related to living in another country or trying to learn a new language. There is just so much uncertainty surrounding PSG right now, even beyond Mbappe and his incessant contractual drama. Christophe Galtier is still technically the head coach yet he is believed to be a dead man walking. What's worrying, though, is that no replacement has yet been lined up, with Luis Enrique the latest name being tipped to take over at Parc des Princes after the club failed to reach an agreement with Julian Nagelsmann.
Given Kane knows all about the pain of playing for a crisis club, it's unlikely that he'd want to join another.
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GettyChelsea
With that in mind, what chance do Chelsea have of persuading Kane to join a free-spending club that makes PSG look relatively prudent by comparison?!
One can certainly understand the Blues' interest. The idea of reuniting new manager Mauricio Pochettino with Kane is certainly appealing. The pair enjoyed an excellent working relationship and still speak very fondly of one another. Todd Boehly & Co. have also shown a willingness to spend mad money on players, meaning they could try to make Levy an offer even he couldn't refuse.
But it just seems too far-fetched. As Ian Wright recently told , "It's the only thing Spurs fans wouldn't be able to deal with – Kane going to Chelsea." Levy would essentially be writing a resignation letter if he agreed to let Tottenham's beloved son join their second-most hated rivals.
It wouldn't even make sense from Kane's perspective, either. Granted, he would get to remain in London and continue his pursuit of the Premier League's all-time goals record. However, Chelsea aren't even in the Champions League next season, and for all the talent they've stockpiled last summer, it's still impossible to say whether they'll become serious title challengers in 2023-24 just because they'll now have Pochettino at the helm.