Tottenham Links: Harry Kane: Hopefully 2016 is Even Better and Brings More Joy
Let’s get to the latest Tottenham Hotspur Links today.
It’s only been two days since Tottenham clinched fourth place heading into the Christmas period but it is actually true. And Harry Kane is hoping that the New Year will bring even more joy for the club, as well as himself. Which is what will be the first story of today’s Tottenham Hotspur Links. The second story is about Riyad Mahrez and how he has no intentions to leave Leicester City. Finally, Spurs’ top-four aspirations rest on Manchester United’s form and if Louis van Gaal is still the manager. These are the links, so let’s get to them below.
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- Harry Kane is looking forward to the New Year
- [via London Evening Standard]
Harry Kane has had a phenomenal 2015 in the Premier League after being named a starter last November, and he hasn’t looked back since then. In total, Kane has scored 30 goals in the Premier League since Mauricio Pochettino gave him more first-team opportunities before ahead of both Emmanuel Adebayor and Roberto Soldado after impressing in the Europa League.
Since the end of October last year until December 2014, Harry Kane would record five goals in 11 games. A very good amount considering he hadn’t really impressed as much on loan and no one knew what to think of a then-21-year-old. Fast forward 12 months until December 2015 and Kane has managed to score 25 goals in 36 Premier League appearances.
If those numbers look good, then Harry Kane is hoping to do even better next year for himself and to see Tottenham continue their climb up the league table.
"“It’s a nice round number but it doesn’t stop here,” Kane said. “Hopefully 2016 is even better and brings more joy. I’m 22, I’m looking to get better and better as I get older and more experienced.”“The team is looking very good at the moment. Hopefully we can keep pushing on. It’s going to be a big year for us and we are looking forward to the challenge.”"
- Leicester City winger, Riyad Mahrez, isn’t going anywhere
- [via Leicester Mercury]
The thought of Spurs going out to sign Riyad Mahrez — or attempt to which is unlikely to begin with — is both interesting and peculiar at the same time.
For starters, there’s no reason for Mahrez to leave Leicester City as they’re the current league leaders. In fact it would be stupid, to be blunt, a word that the Algerian international used to describe any transfer rumors that have him leaving the King Power Stadium.
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“I don’t think I will leave,” the 24-year-old is reported to have told Telefoot. I feel very good here.”
“There are noises and it always nice to have clubs interested in you, but I feel good at Leicester. It would be stupid to leave in January, especially when we are first in the league.”
Clinching first heading into the Christmas period is huge, as the past five out of six Premier League champions all won the title in May. This means Leicester have an 83 percent chance of claiming the title at the end of the season.
Secondly, why pay £30 million for a winger when Tottenham paid that to Érik Lamela? Replacing one high priced player with a decent amount of wages, with another one at the same position wouldn’t work.
Besides, Tottenham’s transfer plans are to look for good deals at the right price now, if last January and this past summer transfer windows are anything to go by. This is transfer rumor doesn’t make sense. Not to mention that Spurs need a striker more than a winger.
Reigning and defending Premier League champions, Chelsea, started their title defense in horrible fashion but after a managerial change, it’s entirely possible that they could climb back up the table with Guus Hiddink as manager until the end of the season. Hiddink has already experienced success before with the Blues, as he helped lead them to a FA Cup trophy in 2009.
When looking at Liverpool’s situation, before Jürgen Klopp’s team hit a wall in their past four games in all competitions, the Reds began their climb up the league table. And while a 3-0 away loss to Watford stopped Liverpool from reaching eight place, Klopp has gotten the Reds into the top ten rather quickly.
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This brings us to Manchester United. Sitting in fifth place leading up to Christmas is not what anybody had in mind. And with even more pressure surrounding Louis van Gaal’s tenure as manager, there might be another change in store for one of the Big Four clubs. If van Gaal is no longer coaching the Red Devils, Man United could only go up as both Chelsea and Liverpool have flourished with a managerial change.