Why now is the time for Tottenham Hotspur to sell Harry Kane

At the start of December this seemed almost inconceivable, Tottenham was in first place and things were looking good. However, as the season has unraveled and the team struggles to get any kind of midweek action next season, the harsh reality of a major rebuild is setting in. Given the needs of the team and the talent of Harry Kane, maybe now is the time for Kane to move on for his and the club’s best interests.

Why Selling Kane Makes Sense for Tottenham

Moving Harry Kane is primarily a great move from a business perspective. All the fans are very upset with Daniel Levy and the board over the Super League fiasco but Levy knows the reality of the club’s financial situation.

Tottenham like a lot of teams has a lot of debt

The Super League was going to be for Tottenham – like it was for Madrid and Barcelona – a quick fix to a major financial hole. Of course, Tottenham’s debt is not the same as Barcelona or Madrid’s in that the club has a magnificent stadium worth a small fortune to show for much of the debt. Whereas Barcelona and Madrid do have a lot of trophies from the debt, they have no real assets moving forward outside a few aging superstars.

All three teams saw the chance to cut nearly a third of their debt in one stroke and went for it. The fact that Levy was willing to do this should tell us everything we need to know. Given the cash cow of the Super League seems dead, the only major asset left for Tottenham is Harry Kane.

Kane is valued at $132 million or ~£95million according to transfermarkt.com. Given the extent of the rebuild needed at Tottenham, if used wisely 100 million can go quite a ways. And 100 million is really a low number when thinking about what Daniel Levy would expect to actually sell Kane for. Harry still has three years left on his contract, so you know Levy will get his fee.

Why Leaving Makes Sense for Harry Kane

This is not to say I want Harry Kane to leave or think he will leave or even should leave, just that if he did, it would make sense as so much in world football is built around the legacy of trophies. Kane’s numbers say he should be in the same echelon as the Messi’s, or Ronaldo’s, or Lewandowski’s of the world. However, his team’s success says otherwise.

Even just looking at Kyle Walker who left for Manchester City after the 2017 season. In three seasons with City, Walker is now at nine trophies and counting. While many thought highly of Walker while he was at Spurs, no one questions his talent or value to the club today. I am sure that the number of nine is something Kane is acutely aware of.

So Kane is just supposed to watch European football?

The chances of Tottenham making it into any European competition seem to be fading and are more of a wish and dream than any kind of expectation. The best players in Europe need to be playing Champions League football and clearly, that is not happening for Tottenham next season – as Spurs will be lucky to even make Europa League at this point.

Ultimately, Harry Kane still has so much he can do at Tottenham and it is possible with the right coach and a few new and hungry faces for Spurs to win. It was only just back in December that Tottenham was top of the table after 12 weeks, not two. The team may be closer than we think with the right changes.

The question Harry Kane and Tottenham need to be asking is if Kane changing is one of the right changes to move he and the team forward.