Tottenham striker Harry Kane, 28, has failed to report to the club’s training ground for a second day on Tuesday as the stand-off over his future continues amid interest from Manchester City. He is expected to be fined for his absence.
Kane believes he has a gentleman’s agreement with Spurs chairman Daniel Levy to leave the club this summer and was expected to return to the club by the end of the previous week and talks are anticipated between both parties.
The England captain did not turn up as scheduled on Monday for his coronavirus tests, without which he cannot join in with the group sessions, and was absent again on Tuesday.
Manchester City remain keen on Kane but have ruled out any chance of paying £160m, which was suggested as the potential fee Levy would want earlier in the summer.
England captain Kane, who is expected to return to the club by the end of the week, believes he has a gentleman’s agreement with Levy to leave Spurs this summer.
According to former Tottenham boss Harry Redknapp, however, that will mean little to Levy if Premier League champions City don’t pay what they think Kane is worth. Redknapp says Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy doesn’t “do emotions” and “will not budge” over his valuation of Kane.
“You’re dealing with a very cold, calculated man when it comes to business,” Redknapp told BBC Radio 5 Live.
“Daniel doesn’t do emotions. He doesn’t do feelings. I know what he’s like.”
“Unless [Kane] has got a clause and an offer of £120m which says he can go, then whatever, fine; he’s got an argument with Daniel,” he said.
“But what Daniel is going to be saying is, ‘yeah, I said you could go but it’s the valuation – and they’re not meeting it, so you’re not going’.
“It’s a difficult one. I love Harry Kane – what a professional, what a guy. But I just think he’s in a very difficult position here because he’s with a man who just won’t give in.
“You either meet the deal or you don’t get the player – that is that, I promise you. That isn’t going to change. He [Levy] won’t budge.”
Redknapp believes Kane’s potential switch to Etihad Stadium could be the key for manager Pep Guardiola to finally fulfil Manchester City’s European ambitions.
He added: “I think he’ll take them on – they’ll win the Champions League with him in the team – but if he stays at Tottenham, it’s not going to be easy.
“Levy will try to play hardball for sure. Knowing the man, he’s going to be difficult to deal with.”
Kane’s contract with Spurs runs until 2024 after he signed a six-year deal in 2018.
He scored 23 top-flight goals last season to claim the Premier League Golden Boot for a third time, having previously won the award in 2015-16 and 2016-17.
He also has 221 Tottenham goals to his name, which puts him second in their all-time goal-scorers list behind Jimmy Greaves, who scored 266 times for the club between 1961 and 1970.
Meanwhile, former Manchester United and England defender Gary Neville thinks something significant must have gone on between Kane and Tottenham behind the scenes.
He told Sky Sports: “You’ve got to turn up and you’ve got to do your job. However, I’ve worked with Harry and I can’t think of a more professional footballer that I’ve ever seen.
“He does everything right, so he must be seriously annoyed. Something has happened badly that has made him do that.
“It still doesn’t excuse it for me. He should still have come into training, and you respect your team-mates.
“You still have to go and stand with them and sit in the dressing room, but it’s clear now that there’s a collision course.”
Tottenham host Manchester City in their opening Premier League game on Sunday, 15 August (16:30 BST).