The future of Harry Kane is an almost-constant talking point – but one pundit has warned the Tottenham striker to be wary of chasing trophies over happiness.
As attentions turn to the summer transfer window, elite European clubs such as Manchester City and Real Madrid have been linked with a big-money move for the England captain.
Kane himself fuelled speculation over his Tottenham future while away on international duty last month.
Indeed, ahead of leading his country at the delayed European Championships this summer, the 27-year-old stated that question marks over his situation were ‘hard to answer’ right now.
Subsequently underlining his quality and commitment to the Tottenham cause with a match-saving double against relegation-threatened Newcastle United on Sunday afternoon, Kane has 19 goals in the Premier League this season.
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His overall tally for the club reads 162 in 235 games, prompting comparisons with Magpies great Alan Shearer.
One of Kane’s predecessors as national captain, Shearer resisted the temptation to join Manchester United back in 1996 – in favour of a move to hometown Newcastle.
It wasn’t the only time he attracted and quashed high-profile interest – and Shearer’s transfer stance can serve as inspiration to Kane, according to former England winger Steve McManaman.
Speaking to HorseRacing.net, McManaman, who did swap Liverpool for the Bernabeu during his own playing days, before a spell with Manchester City, said: “It’s easy to say; ‘You need to leave Spurs because you need to be successful and win trophies.
“Tottenham want to be successful, but it’s hard in the Premier League when you’ve got Liverpool, Chelsea and Manchester City knocking around next to you.
“Of course that’s difficult. But the main thing for Harry Kane, for me, is for him to be happy.
“If he’s happy and scoring goals and being a legend and wants to stay at Tottenham, so be it. It doesn’t matter what team he goes to play for, he’ll always be wealthy enough and well-rewarded because he’s a super player.”
McManaman added: “He’s got a young family, his wife and children might be happy where he is, they might have a family immediately close to them where they’re all happy, the children might be in happy schools.
“That’s the important thing.
“Of course, in an ideal world, he’ll want to be successful, but if he moves to Manchester, if he moves to Madrid and you’re unhappy, and your wife’s unhappy, your children are unhappy, it makes a mockery of your decision. As long as he’s happy, he’s going to be a superstar wherever he plays.”
In addition to City and Real, there is reported interest in Kane from United, as the England captain and Borussia Dortmund sensation Erling Haaland are deemed to be two of the most in-demand strikers ahead of the summer transfer window – but they will both come at a huge price.
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McManaman continued: “If he wants to win trophies, the team who wins the most trophies at the moment is Manchester City, so that would be an easy decision. People get carried away with this; ‘He needs to win trophies to be a great player.
“He doesn’t, he’s a great player anyway and he’s going to be one of the best.
“Look at Alan Shearer. People talk about the lack of trophies he didn’t win, but no-one can tell me Alan Shearer isn’t an absolute superstar, not an absolute hero at Newcastle.
“Harry Kane will be the same if he stays at Tottenham. Likewise, if he wants to move and he feels as if he needs to win trophies, that’s his decision. He’s an incredible centre-forward and I think if you’re a club and you’re going to buy one at the moment, a Premier League super-striker, you go and buy Harry Kane in a heartbeat.
“You know that if he goes and plays for somebody else, he’ll still go and score 30 goals next year.
“I think Erling Haaland is certainly one for the future, because he’s only a young boy. He hasn’t played in the Premier League before, he’s still adjusting, he’s still getting better and he’s still improving. Harry Kane is the finished article.”