Harry Kane poised to stay at Spurs for at least another year as Covid crisis squeezes European giants' finances

Harry Kane is increasingly expected to remain at Tottenham Hotspur for at least next season with a growing sense that Europe’s biggest clubs will have little money to spend in the Covid-hit transfer market.

The England captain stated last year that he might have to leave Spurs if he did not feel they were “progressing” and has made no secret of his desire to win trophies.

Spurs are in the Carabao Cup Final and the last-16 of the Europa League but have slipped to ninth in the Premier League after a run of five defeats in six games that has placed their chances of qualifying for Europe in danger and cast doubt over the future of head coach Jose Mourinho.

Spurs have never discussed a fee they would accept for Kane and insist they want him to stay. However they are also aware that he will, eventually, become a ‘depreciating’ asset as his contract runs down and that the striker is desperate to win trophies.

Kane’s current deal is due to expire in 2024 which means it still has three seasons to run at the end of this campaign. It is highly unlikely that an offer in the next window will be big enough to tempt Spurs chairman Daniel Levy into selling.

The ongoing effects of the coronavirus pandemic will have deep repercussions with clubs having spent heavily last summer in the expectation that fans would have returned before now.

At the same time European giants Barcelona and Real Madrid have further financial issues while Paris Saint-German, another possible destination, are concentrating on trying to renew the contracts of Neymar and Kylian Mbappe.

A swap deal involving one of the European giants may be possible but might not appeal to Spurs who would probably want to cash in on Kane if he has to be sold.

A battleground is emerging for Borussia Dortmund’s Erling Haaland, which, sources claim, is due to involve Manchester City, Manchester United and Chelsea but – at 20 – the Norwegian forward is seven years younger than Kane and would cost considerably less.

Matters could also be complicated if Mourinho fails to arrest Tottenham’s current slide and does not secure European football. Spurs would put RB Leipzig coach Julian Nagelsmann top of their list of targets if Mourinho is replaced.