Ex-Manchester City forward Trevor Sinclair has branded £150million 'too much' for target Harry Kane.
On the back of an extraordinary season with Tottenham Hotspur, leading the Premier League in goals and assists, Kane has been heavily linked to City in a transfer that would shatter the British record fee.
City boss Pep Guardiola has gone on record to speak on his affection for England's star striker, waxing lyrical about Kane's quality as a goalscorer and playmaker.
However, Spurs chairman Daniel Levy is a difficult negotiator, and it is believed he will not let his prized asset walk from North London for a fee any less than the £150m reported.
In an interview with Talksport, Francis declared the Spurs striker as 'quality' but expressed concerns over the deal's damage on the transfer market.
When asked by Jim White whether City should sign the 28 year old at the reported fee, Francis replied: "Not for me, £150m is too much money. Simple as that, I think it's too much money.
"When you're talking about Harry Kane, you know the quality, you know the numbers that he comes with, but I think you also know that he's not perfect."
Host Simon Jordan interfered, questioning the difference between a transfer closer to £120m and a £150m fee, to which Francis responded: "It's not good for the game. I don't think it's good for the game.
"£150m is just stretching it too far for me. It's £25m more.
"I've spoken to a lot of Manchester City fans, they're sighing at £125m - but if you're talking about £150m, it doesn't interest a lot of them. It's 50% more than the [British] record now."
A deal for Harry Kane would represent the most expensive transfer fee in Europe since the pandemic. There are concerns about whether City are acting too aggressively in this summer market that has not seen many big-money transfers, especially on the continent.
However, with title challengers Chelsea completing the signing of Romelu Lukaku for a massive £97m, City executives might be forced to spend big if they aspire to retain their Premier League title.
Having played for Tottenham since he was a child, Kane has scored 221 goals in all competitions for the senior side and signed a six-year contract in 2018, tying him down to a £200,000 per week contract in North London until 2024.
Guardiola, Txiki Begiristain and Ferran Soriano - all believed to be massive admirers of the goalscorer - have already been active this summer, completing the British record transfer of Jack Grealish, in a deal worth £100m.
Harry Kane is now the priority target for the rest of the window and City have reportedly turned down opportunities to engage in talks with Antoine Griezmann, Lionel Messi and most recently, Cristiano Ronaldo, in favour of pursuing the Spurs star.
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