Kane eyes record as Spurs meet City, Everton face Arsenal test
Arsenal are on course for a first league title since 2003/04 with the luxury of a five-point lead over City and a game in hand, whereas the Everton’s 69-year stay in the English top flight is at severe risk
Harry Kane will become Totenham’s all-time leading scorer with a goal against Manchester City on Sunday.
The striker’s wait for a major trophy, however, will go on. Kane is set to surpass the late Jimmy Greaves’ club record of 266 goals, which has stood for 53 years. He is also tied with Wayne Rooney with 53 goals for England’s national team and has a chance to eclipse that record total before the season ends. Alan Shearer’s benchmark of 260 Premier League goals remains the long-term target, with Kane currently at 199.
While those statistics confirm Kane’s status as one of the finest forwards in Soccer history, at 29 years old his career is in danger of being let unfulfilled in terms of trophies.
It could have all been so different if Pep Guardiola got his way in 2021 when Kane was the City manager’s leading transfer target. Had that move gone through, Kane might already have ended his wait for silverware - and be much closer to Shearer’s record.
Instead, it is Erling Haaland now knocking in the goals for City and on course to break Premier
League scoring records this season.
The Norway international has thrived from the service of Kevin De Bruyne, scoring 25 league goals already - two more than last season’s co-golden Boot winners, Mo Salah and Son Heung-min, managed in the entire campaign. In total, Haaland has 31 goals in only 26 appearances for City.
While Kane cannot match that daunting strike rate, he has been as consistent as ever, with 16 goals in the league and 18 overall in a Totenham team that is nine points below City and uncertain of qualifying for the Champions League next season. Some believe that Kane would have been more suited to Guardiola’s tactics than Haaland because of his ability to drop deep and link the midfield with the atack. City’s system has become more direct with Haaland up front and, at times, more predictable as a result.
Even with the numbers being produced by the 22-year-old Haaland, the reigning champions trail Arsenal by five points at the top of the standings, having played a game more. It could be eight points by time City kicks off at Totenham, with Arsenal playing Everton on Saturday.
Arsenal are on course for a first league title since 2003/04 with the luxury of a five-point lead over City and a game in hand, whereas the Everton’s 69-year stay in the English top flight is at severe risk. Kane is focused on puting himself in a position to win the biggest team prizes, rather than just individual honors. And that may well have to be at a club other than Totenham.
His name did not feature highly during the January transfer window, but it could be a different story at the end of the season when he will have one year let on his contract. Manchester United is looking for a replacement for Cristiano Ronaldo and has long-been linked with Kane.
That move is one of the few realistic options if Kane does leave Totenham, given the Premier League’s greater spending power in comparison to Europe’s other big leagues. Totenham’s reported price of about $123 million for Kane would be also be an obstacle to all but the richest clubs.
Kane’s age is another factor. He will be 30 by the start of next season. And while recent years have proved there is a market for forwards in their 30s, Kane’s price tag could be prohibitive. At the same age, Sadio Mane joined Bayern Munich from Liverpool for $43 million last year. And Barcelona signed Robert Lewandowski from Bayern for $52 million when he was about turn 34.
Kane has suggested in the past that he would rather stay in England and the Premier League might be the best chance of Totenham demanding maximum money, even if it means selling to a direct rival. Chelsea and Newcastle are the other teams likely to try to strengthen their atack at the end of the season. Guardiola, meanwhile, will hope Kane doesn’t inflict another blow to City’s title ambitions on Sunday.
Premier League fixtures (all times GMT) Saturday: Everton vs Arsenal (1230), Aston Villa vs Leicester, Brenford vs Southampton, Brighton vs Bournemouth, Man.utd vs Crystal Palace, Wolves vs Liverpool (all 1500), Newcastle vs West Ham (1730) Sunday: Notingham Forest vs Leeds (1400), Totenham vs Man.city (1630)