Harry Kane reaches a fork in the road, and he'll have to take it

, the club’s striker, would be built outside its new stadium. Daniel Levy, the chairman of Tottenham Hotspur, told the students of the Cambridge University Union that he hoped a statue of Harry Kane, the club’s striker, would be built outside its new stadium.

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Jun 13, 2023 • 6 min read

Daniel Levy wanted to give off a more flattering impression. Levy told students at the Cambridge University Union, on a particular day last month that he was hoping a statue would be erected of Harry

Kane

One day, he would be immortalized in bronze outside the stadium of his club. He was possibly its greatest striker ever. Levy wanted to show the magnitude of Kane’s achievements and the status that he has attained in the club he has supported since he was a young child. It was unfortunate that the message came across as a bit of emotional blackmail.

This summer is crucial for Kane. He will officially enter the final year of his six-year deal he signed with Tottenham just before the 2018 World Cup. He will be 30 a few weeks after that. If he has to leave

Spurs

It is difficult to avoid the impression that now is the time.

This decision seems to be a simple one. Kane is England's captain. Only Alan

Shearer

Wayne Rooney has scored more goals in the Premier League than him

Premier League

He is on Rooney's shoulders, ready to pass. Kane would fit into any team.

Many teams would be willing to pay his salary, which is relatively low by comparison. Bayern Munich has admired Kane for a long time. Chelsea could reunite Kane with Mauricio pochettino.

Manchester United

Kane is a good alternative, but it doesn't take much imagination to see that this could change if Kane becomes available.

All of his suitors would be able to offer him not just a lucrative salary, but also the chance to achieve the glory he has yet achieved. Bayern is almost a sure bet for a slew of medals and trophies. Chelsea has won several competitions in recent years, much like Manchester United. Tottenham can, in contrast, offer him a bronze statue. This is, of course, a reductive statement. Kane leaving Spurs is not a simple matter. Kane's attachment to Spurs is not just because of his deep, sincere feelings, but also for professional and more hard-nosed reasons. Kane's ability to surpass Shearer if he stays at Tottenham, or at least England, is almost certain if he stays at Tottenham.

Premier

The honor of being the League's all-time leading scorer could mean just as much to him than winning two Bundesliga titles. His quest for a trophy could end next year with England's European Championship. It seems that this is his only option. In 2018, the club released a video in which it announced the news of Kane's current contract to relieved and delighted fans. Kane is shown in the control panel of Tottenham's brand new stadium. It was not yet open. It had not yet opened. It was easy for me to see the place as a fresh vision of Tottenham's future. A place full of promise. Kane saw nothing but potential after committing the prime of his football career to his club. "I'm excited to stay on the train," said Kane, perhaps misinterpreting the theme of video. "And see where it goes." It initially stayed on course. Kane played for his childhood team and was on the biggest stage European soccer has to offer. Tottenham was agonizingly near to joining the dominant trio of Manchester City, Liverpool and the Premier League. This was not the case. Tottenham signed no new players in the summer, when Kane signed a new contract. Pochettino had encouraged Levy "to be brave and to take risks" at that time. This lack of reinforcements was evident in the end. Spurs' performance slipped. Pochettino lost his job, just a few weeks after leading the club in its biggest match in history.

Jose Mourinho took his place. The results improved briefly, but then deteriorated again. He was dismissed a few weeks before the cup final. The club went months without a coach, before appointing a new manager.

Nuno Espirito Santo

Out of desperation. It wasn't a success. He also left.

Antonio Conte, who had just taken over as Spurs' coach, began to complain loudly and long about a variety of topics. It became clear that his main complaint was the humiliation of being a Spurs coach. He finally got himself fired in March. His former assistant has been appointed as the replacement caretaker. The person who was in charge of finding the long-term successor to his position was banned from football. Spurs conceded five goals to Newcastle in just 20 minutes. Spurs had to put in years of hard work, including Levy's, before they could become a force in England and Europe. All of this unraveled in about two years. This summer, we will have a new manager. Levy will doubtless hope that Kane's appointment is enough to convince him of the club’s seriousness. To believe this, however, the striker must ignore everything else that he has seen over the past five years since signing his contract. Kane knows the direction of this train, and more importantly, he also knows its opposite. (STORY MAY END HERE.) OPTIONAL MATERIAL APPEARS AFTER.

You can win or get a refund

Tottenham's players reimbursing fans for their tickets after their team fell behind 5-0 in 21 minutes is an act of kindness rooted in the best of intentions. Unfortunately, this gesture is completely misguided. Newcastle is far from London by British standards. It's 280 miles, three hours and (at best), your entire life savings by rail, or two and a half weeks on the country’s potholed, traffic-clogged roads. Add to that the cost of the tickets and the Spurs fans have spent hundreds of pounds and countless hours in their lives just to go and watch the match. It must have been offensive to see the players put on what was probably one of the worst performances by any club during the Premier League's era. It is understandable that some of these fans would have demanded refunds in public. Unfortunately, this is not the way sport should work. Tickets to sporting events are not a guarantee that you will be satisfied. When you watch your favorite team or athlete, there is a possibility that they may lose. It is also possible that your team or athlete will be humiliated. You take the risk. You are buying a ticket to an event that is by definition unpredictable in terms of its outcome and nature. Expecting or demanding a minimum level of performance, or your money will be refunded, is to miss out on the whole point. We are often told that "fan" should not be used as a synonym for "customer". It is not a good idea to milk the loyal supporter for profit. The bond between team and fan is reciprocal. You purchase a ticket to a game in order to support your favorite team, regardless of the outcome. This is an act of faith, not expectation. This interpretation has faded, in part because of the attitude taken by the clubs. It is not surprising that fans will behave like customers when treated as such. When their hopes are crushed, customers demand a refund. This is a part of any sport.

Changes at the top

Arsenal has finally succumbed coldly to the harsh realities of economics. Mikel Arteta, and his team, deserve a thank you note and bouquet of flowers from the Premier League at the end the season. The sudden rise of English soccer in the last 10 month is due to their sudden success. Manchester City will be crowned champion as has been the case in recent seasons. If you do not celebrate City's victory in a raucous manner, you will face accusations of jealousy and bitterness. But that's always been the problem with Abu Dhabi's plan to use sport as a tool for its foreign policy. You can't win and be loved at the same time. Rarely, if ever, do they go together. Other parts of Europe are experiencing a more positive outlook. This column is not shy about its desire to see Napoli triumph in Serie A – if only to find out if the city will survive the celebrations.

Luciano Spalletti’s team might not be the only unexpected champion on the continent. Feyenoord leads the Dutch Eredivisie by 8 points with just four games remaining. Ajax may not qualify for Champions League at the current rate. The winner of the Champions League will be either Panathinaikos Athens or AEK Athens

Greek Super League

, dethroning Olympiacos.

Bayern Munich, of course has decided to self detonate just at the right moment to give Borussia Dortmund a chance to end Bayern’s streak of 10 consecutive domestic championships. Dortmund leads by one point with five matches left. However, three of these games are at home and none of them face particularly formidable opponents. If it can keep its nerve, the young team's chances will be better than ever. It's hard to say why, but the World Cup is probably a factor. The Premier League's financial power may have had a negative impact on other domestic leagues. It is a welcome development, and not only for those who will directly benefit.

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