Soccer

Man City planning approach for Tottenham’s Harry Kane

England striker is open to joining champions but Daniel Levy is reluctant to sell

Harry Kane is open to joining Manchester City. Photo: Andrew Couldridge/EPA

Fabrizio Romano
Wed May 19 2021 - 17:07

Manchester City want to sign Harry Kane and plan to hold talks over a potential deal for the Tottenham striker. Kane is open to joining City but he and his suitors are aware that negotiations with Daniel Levy will be far from straightforward.

Tottenham’s chairman is not inclined to sell Kane, who has told the club he would like to leave and believes he effectively got a verbal agreement from Levy last summer to go at the end of this season.

City’s record transfer fee is less than £65m and they would have to part with more than twice that if Levy consented to a deal for Kane. With Sergio Agüero about to depart, City are determined to secure a player who would strengthen a squad that has won the Premier League and Carabao Cup this season and could add the Champions League this month. They have been in touch with Kane’s representatives.

Manchester United’s interest in Kane appears to have waned since Edinson Cavani committed to a further year, but it could be revived. There has been no move yet for the England captain from Chelsea – and Levy would be especially resistant to doing a deal with them.

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Tottenham will try to convince Kane to stay and the appointment of a new manager could be part of that process, but the 27-year-old’s position is clear. He is due to play in front of the club’s fans against Aston Villa on Wednesday.

Levy has acknowledged in his programme notes that errors have been made in the recent past: “We have been so focused on delivering the stadium and dealing with the impact of the pandemic, that I feel we lost sight of some key priorities and what’s truly in our DNA.

“Our work in the community and with the NHS is an example of when we get it right, but we don’t get everything right. It has never been because we don’t care about or respect you, our fans – nothing could be further from the truth.”

He said “a successful football team” was paramount and that “everyone’s focus is on a return to regular Champions League participation and competing for honours”. – Guardian