Ange Postecoglou has revealed that Harry Kane told him on his first day as Tottenham manager that he wanted to leave the club – and says Spurs fans have the right to “mourn” his impending exit.
Tottenham’s all-time record goalscorer is on his way to complete a £100m move to Bayern Munich, ending a 19-year stay at the club.
The 30-year-old’s future was a major talking point in the summer after Spurs’ eighth-place finish left them without European football – but Postecoglou said Kane had already made up his mind when they first met. months ago.
“I spoke to Harry the first day I arrived, he was upfront and honest and I’m the same,” Postecoglou said.
“You get an indication that he has decided that if the clubs agree to a deal, he will go.
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Bayern Munich head coach Thomas Tuchel has confirmed that signing Kane is the club’s highest priority at the moment
“What he emphasized was [to resolve his future] before the first game, I was the same, and nothing on the road made me feel anything other than this result.”
Asked if he tried to convince Kane to stay, Postecoglou replied: “No, I don’t see the point of that. Whatever I say can’t be related to his feelings, being here for the last month.
“I can plan this big vision but I’m sure he’s heard it all before. ‘.
“If [there was no agreement], he was glad to stay. He didn’t push me, he was very professional about it. I tried to treat him with the respect a player in his position deserves.
Postecoglou: The fans have the right to mourn Kane’s exit
Kane first joined Tottenham’s youth academy in 2004 and scored 280 goals for the club’s first team. But the England captain is set to end his time at Spurs without a trophy for the club.
The striker led Spurs to the Champions League final in 2019, as well as two League Cup final appearances, but Postecoglou said Kane’s lack of silverware at the club should not detract from his achievements.
“It’s a bit unfair on Harry as well,” Postecoglou said when asked about Kane ending his spell without a trophy.
Kane ended a 19-year spell at Tottenham
“They got close a few times. But in this business, that’s the truth of it. Unless you lift a trophy that kind of thing is branded against you. But that doesn’t diminish his contribution.
“It is only fair on a day like today that our supporters have a sense of mourning and loss, because despite the club’s lack of success, he has become a hero to them.
“Again, his departure will not change the vision of what I will bring to this football club. It is very clear that a club of this size has to find a way to win things. You can do that in very different ways, I have a very specific way of doing it and that’s what I’m going to focus on. That’s all I’ve done in my career, play a certain way and that’s also my challenge.”
How did Spurs replace Kane?
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Postecoglou is eager to secure the signing of James Maddison, and believes he can help Tottenham’s attacking threat.
Postecoglou emphasized in his press conference that Kane’s departure does not change his project to rebuild Spurs, as he plans to make the deal happen.
However, the Australian admitted that there is no one to replace the outgoing England captain.
“I don’t think anyone wants a replacement for Harry,” he said. “We’ve been planning for this for a while. It doesn’t take too much investigation to know it’s going to happen. We’ve been planning for it to happen.
“It’s not going to change things dramatically from what we’re trying to build. There’s movement in the squad. Some players will look for opportunities elsewhere, there’s still three weeks to go in the window. That’s not because Harry no more, that was always in the plan.”
Asked if he had a list of options ahead to replace Kane, Postecoglou said: “It doesn’t work that way.
“We knew it was coming. From our point of view, we are preparing for Brentford. Nobody is going to come between now and Sunday.”
Postecoglou added that James Maddison, who was one of the Spurs boss’ first signings at the club, would help spread the goals around the team.
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“You can’t take over [Kane] with a player and the one area I feel the club needs is a threat in midfield. And that’s what Maddison brings.
“With Harry gone, we want to spread the word [the goals] out and Maddison gave that. The way he trains and the way he accepts the club, he plays the way we want to play.
Watch Tottenham’s first game of the post-Harry Kane era as they visit Brentford live on Sky Sports this Super Sunday; kick-off 2pm.
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