Harry Kane will have to accept that it is now or never for his dream move to Manchester City.
Tottenham striker Kane knows the clock is ticking on any chance of him going to the Etihad in a record-breaking deal this summer.
But the reality is also sinking in that, at 28, Kane’s only chance is now because City will not be back with £100m-plus next year because of his age and decreasing value.
Next year could also see the likes of Borussia Dortmund’s Erling Haaland on the market or even Kylian Mbappe as a free agent with his contract at Paris Saint Germain running down.
They are both younger options for the future and City would be reluctant to break the transfer record for a 29-year-old striker in a year’s time when they will get one season less for their huge outlay.
City are likely to go back with another offer around the £120m mark but that will still not be enough to tempt Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy.
It will have to be closer to £150m to make Levy think twice as he is a tough, experienced negotiator renowned in the business for having a figure in his head and then sticking to it religiously.
City have got nowhere near that figure yet with the opening gambit of £100m, £120m will not be enough and there are no guarantees he will sell even if they go higher.
Kane has now been reintegrated back into training at Tottenham, has made it clear to Spurs boss Nuno Espirito Santo that he will carry on and will be available.
Tottenham have included Kane in their squad for the UEFA Conference League play-off tie with Pacos de Ferreira on Thursday and even if he plays that will not exclude him from being available for the Champions League Group stage if City do find a breakthrough.
But time is running out on Kane both this summer and in the long term for his prospects of moving to a club to fulfil his ambition of moving to a club to win the trophies to go with the personal accolades for the Premier League Golden Boot winner.
Matt Le Tissier is the great example of a one club man who had incredible talent but stayed loyal when opportunities did come his way.
Will Harry Kane be a Spurs player by the end of the window? Have your say here.
Former England captain Alan Shearer did win the title with Blackburn but chose his beloved Newcastle over Manchester United. He was so close to joining United that he even chose where to live… but ended up at Newcastle, became a Geordie legend but did not win trophies.
Kane’s very public push for a transfer has threatened his relationship with the Spurs fans who chanted and taunted him on Sunday with songs about: “Are you watching Harry Kane?”
But Kane does not have a super-agent trying to broker a way out of Spurs, he was hoping his relationship and the understanding with the club would be enough and yet, for now, he appears stuck at White Hart Lane.
City will have to come back soon as Tottenham do not want to be left trying to find a late replacement either and it would appear as if the chances are growing that Kane will stay put - and potentially well beyond this summer.
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