Nuno responds after omission from Tottenham squad ramps up Kane speculation
Tottenham talisman Harry Kane was the notable absentee from their matchday squad on Sunday amid continued speculation of a blockbuster transfer to Man City.
The Tottenham captain has become the subject of what would likely be the most expensive transfer in British football history. Kane has been identified by Man City as the perfect man to fill their void at centre-forward following the departure of club legend Sergio Aguero.
An opening offer of £100m has reportedly already been rejected, but Pep Guardiola’s side are expected to return with an improved bid.
The saga has drawn widespread comment from those within the game. In a TEAMtalk exclusive, Spurs legend Glenn Hoddle outlined what Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy’s breaking point would be before greenlighting a deal.
Sky Sports pundit Paul Merson then outlined which Premier League striker he believes would be the ideal replacement.
In a twist of fate, Tottenham’s opening contest of the season saw them drawn to face the club Kane could soon join – Man City.
Former manager Alex McLeish questioned whether Kane’s heart would be in it if selected to start in the contest. Those concerns were not backed up by Nuno Espirito Santo, however.
Speaking in his Friday press conference, the Portuguese said: “I don’t have any concerns about trying to convince players to play for Tottenham. It’s such a huge club, it’s such a fantastic club. We should be proud of being here.”
However, when the team sheets ahead of the contest were revealed on Sunday afternoon, Kane was not in the starting eleven. Furthermore, Kane was omitted from the entire matchday squad which will no doubt fuel further speculation over his exit.
Kane had only returned to training last weekend after England’s march to the Euro 2020 final. However several of his England team-mates have seen action this weekend despite being in a similar position and playing the majority of minutes for the Three Lions. Indeed, Raheem Sterling was selected to start in the match.
When Nuno was asked about Kane’s omission by the BBC prior to the match, the Spurs boss said: “He needs to keep on working until he’s ready to help the team.”
Asked if Kane is at the game, Nuno said: “He worked in the morning, I don’t know what he’s going to do [now].”
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Paratici verging on Tottenham transfer masterstroke
Meanwhile, Tottenham are reportedly set to win the race to sign Napoli sensation Lorenzo Insigne – but any deal will be on hold for now.
The Sunday Express reports that a move to Tottenham looks the most likely option. Citing reports from Italy, they claim managing director Fabio Paratici is ready to offer Insigne the wages he craves. However, any approach will be made next summer with Insigne available on a free transfer.
That will mean the player seeing out the final year of his deal before departing on a free transfer. And they claim Paratici has already made it clear that he wants to speak with Insigne over the move as soon as he’s eligible to do so from January 1.
Insigne will reportedly sign a pre-contract agreement to join Spurs next summer.
The Express points out that signing top players on frees is a tactic that Paratici has used to his advantage over the years. Whilst at Juventus, he lured a number of big names for nothing, including Paul Pogba, Andrea Pirlo, Kingsley Coman and Dani Alves.
READ MORE: Nuno looks to beef up Tottenham midfield with £30m Leeds target
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