DON’T BLOW KANE CASH
Former Spurs keeper Robinson urges Levy to spend wisely this time if Harry leaves
FORMER White Hart Lane hero Paul Robinson has warned Tottenham not to make the same mistake they did with Gareth Bale should Harry Kane leave.
Bale was sold to Real Madrid in 2013 for a then-world-record £85.3million. But Spurs had not lined up a proper replacement – and considerable sums were spent on players like Roberto Soldado, Erik Lamela and Paulinho, few of which paid off as the long search for trophies went on.
Kane, 26, has publicly admitted he may have to explore his options in the near future, if he is to be in a position to compete for major club honours.
Keeper Robinson (above), who played 175 games for Spurs between
2004 and 2008 and won 41 England caps, said: “It is difficult when a player of that magnitude and that quality says they want to leave a club.
“It’s just like with Gareth Bale. But the deal has to be right. In the past, Spurs chairman Daniel Levy has made sure the deals are right and he has got excellent value for players. “The deal would have to be right for everybody and it would have to be a very large sum of money that could be reinvested into the squad. “The squad needs strengthening. To take Harry out of the equation, you would need to reinvest the money very sensibly. You only have to look at Bale.” After Bale left, Soldado, Paulinho, Etienne Capoue, Nacer Chadli, Vlad Chiriches, Christian Eriksen and Lamela were all signed for a total of around £106m. Only Eriksen and Lamela made a lasting impact, with Soldado, Paulinho and Capoue all sold for a loss after two years and Chadli leaving after three.
Spurs under Jose Mourinho, hit by a crippling injury list before coronavirus halted football, were struggling this season, out of the Champions League and the FA Cup, and facing a real battle to get into the top four.
Robinson, who has urged Spurs to sign Burnley keeper Nick Pope as a replacement for Hugo Lloris, added: “There will be an interesting conversation with Spurs next season, if they are not challenging on any front midway through.”
Real are keen on Kane (left), who Spurs have placed a £150m price tag on, though they are set to have a clear out this summer, with Bale a potential victim. But they face competition for Kane from both Manchester United and City.