5 reasons why Harry Kane will leave Tottenham Hotspur in the near future

Tottenham Hotspur v Everton - Premier League
Harry Kane (no.10) recently became Tottenham Hotspur's all-time leading Premier League goalscorer

Harry Kane hit new heights in 2017 - he broke Alan Shearer's Premier League record of goals scored in a calendar year - a record which has stood for 22 years - as the Englishman finished the year with 39 league goals.

He has also become Tottenham's all-time leading goalscorer in the Premier League, eclipsing Teddy Sheringham's tally of 97 goals just this past weekend, as he netted a brace vs Everton at Wembley.

The English striker is hot property, and is arguably the best striker in world football at the moment. In fact, keeping recent form in mind, he isn't far behind the likes of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.

When you thrust Harry Kane into that bracket of players, one thing stands out straight away, trophies. Kane is yet to lift silverware with the North London club and understandably, he won't wait around forever.

That being said, here are 5 reasons why he will depart Tottenham sooner, rather than later:


#5 Lack of silverware

Tottenham Hotspur v Real Madrid - UEFA Champions League
Spurs stunned Real Madrid in their UEFA Champions League group-stage clash

Harry Kane, like any other player, wants to win trophies, and a player of his quality should be winning trophies every season. However, he is yet to lift a trophy since his breakthrough at his boyhood club despite his record-breaking goalscoring exploits.

Unfortunately for Tottenham supporters and for Kane himself, it doesn't seem likely that this season will end in glory. Already knocked out of the Carabao Cup and a cut adrift of runaway leaders Manchester City in the Premier League, that just leaves the FA Cup and the UEFA Champions League.

Their performance in Europe's elite competition this season has been impressive - they topped a group that included both Real Madrid and Borussia Dortmund - but to suggest they can go all the way and win it would be a stretch, considering they've never previously escaped from the group stage and face a difficult last-16 tie against Italian giants Juventus.

The FA Cup, on the other hand, is an easier competition for Tottenham to win (as compared to the UEFA Champions League), but they will face stiff competition from other English giants like Chelsea, Liverpool, and the two Manchester clubs, who are also still very much a part of the competition.

#4 Money

Neymar Signs For PSG
Neymar signed for PSG for a world-record fee of €222 million

The financial climate of football is as volatile as it has ever been, ever since Neymar moved from Barcelona to Paris Saint-Germain for €222 million.

The subsequent transfers of Ousmane Dembele, Kylian Mbappe and Philippe Coutinho, all of which have surpassed the €100 million mark, prove that the transfer market has changed forever, and that football has entered a new age.

Now, the acquisition of Kane's signature would demand an astronomical transfer fee, which, in my opinion, has to be upward of €200 million in today's market, as he is just as effective, if not more, as Neymar.

If a club comes knocking for Kane, can Tottenham and Daniel Levy resist? Or rather, for how long? We've seen a similar situation before, with the sale of Gareth Bale to Real Madrid, for a then world-record fee.

Kane, himself, stands to gain financially with a move from away from North London with other clubs able to offer him considerably higher wages, in addition to the promise of silverware, which the Englishman is desperately in the hunt for.

Also read: 10 of the most underpaid footballers in the world

If a move does come to light, both club and player stand to reap the financial rewards and Harry Kane will be likely to break yet another record - this time, in the transfer market.

#3 Spurs' new stadium will limit transfer funds

Tottenham Hotspur v Swansea City - Premier League
White Hart Lane under construction

Tottenham's new 61,000-odd capacity stadium is currently under construction and is due to be completed in time for the start of the 2018/19 Premier League season. Their new ground is a fantastic long-term investment for the club, but will they suffer on the pitch in the short-term?

My belief is that they will. For better clarity, let's look at the example of Arsenal when they left Highbury and moved into the Emirates Stadium.

They were financially handicapped for several seasons and weren't able to compete with their rivals in the transfer market due to having to pay off the cost of their new home. Arsenal fans will tell you that this set them back, and the facts are plain to see, as they've had limited success since their move.

In the case of Tottenham, Chairman Daniel Levy is cautious when it comes to putting up money for new players. He has adopted a method of re-investing from player sales and constantly encourages youth development within the squad.

To win trophies on a consistent basis, Spurs need to be active and compete in the transfer market, and to put it quite simply, after they move to the new stadium, they might not be able to.

Levy admitted in the summer that they couldn't financially compete with the likes of Manchester City and Chelsea, and that situation stands to get even worse in the coming seasons.

Tottenham's trophy drought is a prime concern, and if it continues this way without them being able to strengthen their side, then for how long will Harry Kane stick around?

When big offers from Europe's top clubs come flying in, will the club be able to resist? When trophy-winning teams stake their claim, will Kane be able to resist?

I, for one, sincerely hope Kane remains in the Premier League because he could break every club and league record there is. However, at the moment, his departure seems to be more a question of when and not if, and Tottenham fans, enjoy him while you have him because the clock sure is ticking.

#2 Desire to win the Ballon d'Or

FC Barcelona v Athletic Club - La Liga
Will the urge to win the Ballon d'Or drive Harry Kane out of Tottenham?

The Ballon d'Or is the most prestigious individual award in football and has been dominated for the past decade by both Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. He finished 2017 with more goals in the calendar year than both the La Liga stars, and aged just 24, he is only going to get better.

As mentioned earlier, Kane is within the highest echelon of players in world football and can realistically set his sights on securing the award for the world's best player.

The question is, can he achieve this while at Spurs? The simple answer is - No. The last English winner of the award was Michael Owen in 2001, and barring Cristiano Ronaldo, there hasn't been a winner (domestic or foreign) from the Premier League since Owen - not even from teams that have won the league (silverware usually contributes greatly to a player's chances of winning the Ballon d'Or).

How then, can Harry Kane win world football's greatest individual accolade, while playing for a side that doesn't currently look like they can win the league?

If the Ballon d'Or is one of Kane's ambitions, then according to Goal.com, the reported interest from Spanish giants Real Madrid may hold more weight than just transfer gossip.

#1 Legacy

Tottenham Hotspur v Southampton - Premier League
Harry Kane - the next Galactico?

Long gone are the days of one-club men. Steven Gerrard, Paul Scholes, Ryan Giggs et al. Harry Kane could well join that rare club of legends by staying at Tottenham Hotspur. But, the forward will be faced with a choice of what legacy he wishes to leave behind - one of a club legend or one of a Premier League legend.

My feeling is that when push comes to shove, he will opt for the latter. Steven Gerrard is a prime example of a player who put his club before his own personal goals.

However, despite being a Liverpool legend, Gerrard never managed to lift the elusive Premier League trophy, which is why he will rarely feature in anybody's all-time Premier League eleven. If Kane chooses to stay at Spurs, he could fall into a similar bracket.

In the past, Harry Kane has stated his desire to win trophies, but as previously outlined, the opportunities to do so are going to be limited while he remains at Spurs. One thing is for sure though - Harry Kane's future promises to bright, and it's going to be interesting to see how this particular chapter in his career unfolds.

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Edited by Aakanksh Sanketh
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