Manchester City will not be signing Harry Kane this summer after a transfer saga that dragged on and on.
The Tottenham striker indicated his desire to leave north London towards the end of last season.
Kane, who has just turned 28, is yet to win any silverware and was seeking a move that would enhance his chances of success.
City immediately became the frontrunners due to their need to bolster their forward line.
Sergio Aguero's contract expired and he was allowed to leave the Etihad leaving huge shoes to fill in attack.
Kane has been prolific for well over half a decade and would've been the ideal fit for Pep Guardiola's side.
The Englishman has continued to improve his game and last term topped both the goalscoring and assist charts.
However Tottenham's reported £160m price tag immediately became an issue and Kane's lengthy contract gave him no leverage.
City tabled a £100m offer but were reluctant to go beyond that, which has eventually seen the move fizzle out and the striker has now posted on social media saying he will stay at Tottenham.
The Premier League champions' reluctance to utilise the full capacity of their wealth and slap down a mammoth bid is nothing new.
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For all their riches the Abu Dhabi owners have been keen to remain calculated throughout their tenure.
Similarities can be drawn with their pursuit of Kane and that of Virgil van Dijk back in 2018.
The Dutch defender eventually moved to Liverpool after City refused to pay Southampton's asking price.
The club's chairman, Khaldoon Al Mubarak, in the Amazon series 'All or Nothing' made their stance on transfers very clear when they considered moving for Van Dijk.
"Ultimately if it makes sense for us we will do it - if it doesn't, we are perfectly comfortable in walking away."
That seems to be exactly what the Manchester club have done. They've already spent £100m on Jack Grealish and there were obviously reasons they chose against investing in Kane.
Guardiola took the rare step of speaking publicly about his interest in the striker earlier this summer.
“He's a player for Tottenham Hotspur. If Tottenham don't want to negotiate, it's finished. If they are open to negotiate then I think Man City and many clubs in the world want to sign him. We are not an exception,” he said.
Gabriel Jesus remain City's only recognised striker and time is running out if they are to act before the transfer window closes.
