Antonio Conte is the only manager who has what it takes to reinvigorate Tottenham’s Harry Kane and restore his market value.
Conte will be officially appointed as Spurs manager in the coming hours.
What Conte’s appointment means for Kane
His appointment is the only potential remedy for what ails Harry Kane. The England captain is inarguably disinterested in the current Spurs’ project. The want-away striker had his heart set on departing north London after England’s defeat to Italy in the European Championship final.
Temporarily a no-show at Spurs’ summer camp, Kane sauntered in late and noticeably indifferent. That lethargic, apathetic attitude translated into Kane’s worst Premier League start. It took Kane over two months to register his first goal of the campaign, albeit a wonderfully executed dinked lob in Spurs’ 3-2 win at Newcastle.
Stuck on a single goal, Kane, who captured his third Golden Boot last season, is already nine off the pace. Although it is his overall performance level that is even more concerning for the club.
His season thus far has been headlined by a consistent, discernible lack of effort and commitment, precisely what supporters dreaded most in the aftermath of the club’s decision to retain his services.
Thanks to a collection of disinterested performances, Kane’s market value has certainly decreased. Cue the arrival of Conte, whose demanding disposition should bring Kane back from the dead. If Conte can’t rejuvenate Kane’s Tottenham career, nobody can.
Even if the Italian gaffer is only able to briefly revitalize the club’s beleaguered talisman, Conte’s presence should be enough to restore Kane’s market value to pre-season levels. The best-case scenario sees Kane, thanks to Conte’s galvanizing effect, re-devote himself to Spurs’ cause until the end of his contract.
That outcome, however, still remains unlikely.
Even so, Kane’s prospective recovery under Conte, no matter how fleeting, will have a trickle-down effect on the rest of the team, invariably, and significantly, improving Tottenham’s performances.
The prospect of Conte’s buoying effect on Kane and the rest of the tam is, on its own, enough to excite supporters about what’s to come in north London.