The weight of the goodbye merely drew attention to the connection that Harry Kane forged with Tottenham Hotspur across the lion’s share of his career.
England and Spurs’ all-time top goalscorer now plies his craft with Bayern Munich in the German Bundesliga, having completed a £100m transfer to the Bavarian outfit in August 2023 after many years of service on the white patch of England’s capital, notching 280 goals and 61 assists across 235 fixtures.
1
Alan Shearer
441
260
0.59
2
Harry Kane
320
213
0.67
3
Wayne Rooney
491
208
0.42
4
Andy Cole
414
187
0.45
5
Sergio Aguero
275
184
0.67
He might not have won any silverware with Tottenham but Kane certainly etched his name into English history, arguably the country’s finest-ever striker, absurdly clinical in the Premier League.
His sale was not so much necessary as forced by the club’s failings over the seasons leading up to that fateful moment – but why would he have stayed, given the direction, or lack thereof?
Ange Postecoglou has since spun Tottenham back around and there’s a restored identity and bite to the Lilywhites, but flawed football confirms that there is plenty of work still to do, and it’s paramount that the Australian manager does not lose another star man.
Spurs could lose important player
Cristian Romero has risen to prominence as one of the game’s finest centre-halves over the past several years in the Premier League, and Real Madrid have taken note.
Carlo Ancelotti’s imperious outfit appear to be surveying the market for a new central defender and Romero has been earmarked.
That said, reports from Spain over the summer suggested that the north Londoners have immediately slapped a jaw-dropping £175m price tag on the 6 foot 1 titan’s name, hoping to dissuade the La Liga and Champions League title holders from advancing their intrigue.
Transfer guru Fabrizio Romano has placated in recent days the fear at the fanbase’s collective heart after confirming that, despite reports from Argentina, there is indeed no €65m (£54m) release clause in Romero’s contract.
Still, Los Blancos usually get what they want, but Daniel Levy and his senior office will need to work overtime to convince the 26-year-old that his place is in Postecoglou’s backline.
Transfer Focus
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Why Spurs must not sell Cristian Romero
Romero has been at Tottenham for a few years now, moving from Italian side Atalanta in a deal worth around £42m in 2021. He’s completed 106 matches, scoring seven goals, and has been praised for his “incredible” technical quality by Spurs correspondent Alasdair Gold.
As per FBref, Romero ranks among the top 8% of centre-backs across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for goals scored, the top 10% for pass completion, the top 12% for progressive passes, the top 19% for blocks and the top 16% for tackles and aerial battles won per 90.
He’s infamous for his aggressive, tough-tackling defensive game but Romero expertly adds a dimension from deep in the final third, drifting forward to latch onto set-piece deliveries, while he’s also blessed with a ball-playing game that allows Postecoglou’s fast-flowing style of football to operate to the nth degree.
Losing him would be cataclysmic, akin to that of Kane’s sale. The Argentina international, champion at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, has been pronounced the “best defender in the world” by his compatriot Lionel Messi and simply will not be replaced effectively, for players of his category are scanty.
Oh sure, there’s plenty of defensive talent stubbled across the face of the footballing landscape, but Romero’s skillset is a singular thing, and his captaincy of the Lilywhites across the past two Premier League matches – including the extraordinary 3-0 victory over Manchester United at Old Trafford – only underscores further the importance of keeping him down N17.
Micky van de Ven, athletic and imposing, earns plenty of plaudits for his flashy movements and loping strides, but he’s not on Romero’s level, not if you look a little closer. You can take a peek now, and see how Romero is far crisper, far more influential, far more involved and assertive.
Matches (starts)
7 (7)
6 (6)
Goals
1
0
Assists
0
1
Touches*
97.0*
86.5
Pass completion
92%
94%
Key passes*
0.6
0.3
Ball recoveries*
6.3
5.5
Tackles + interceptions*
3.0
1.7
Clearances*
2.9
2.7
Duels won* (success rate)
4.9 (59%)
3.8 (49%)
We looked earlier at Kane’s brilliance at Tottenham, and though his sale was somewhat inevitable, for he had concluded the penultimate year of his contract and Spurs had finished eighth in the Premier League, closing the door on European competition, it still shouldn’t have happened.
Tottenham should not have fallen so heavily by the wayside after losing the Champions League final against Liverpool in 2019, a bitter defeat that knocked the project askew for several years onward.
Postecoglou, let’s not forget, took the reins at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium following the misery of Antonio Conte’s tenure, with so many loose parts creating an air of negativity and helplessness.
Now, there’s light at the end of the tunnel, with a cautiously tangible sense that Tottenham might actually win something, this year, next year – who knows?
The drought will end, but only if linchpins such as Romero are kept on the books. If Romero leaves, it sets a precedent that could topple the work that is being forged.
Romero has just under three years left on his £165k-per-week contract, and Romano has indeed quashed rumours that a £65m release clause is embedded in that tome of contractual terms and conditions.
Tottenham’s fast start under Postecoglou last season showcased a level of attacking quality that could have achieved great things, had it been sustained and injury issues not boiled up.
Kane would have been sensational at the spearhead. Instead, he plundered 44 goals and 12 assists across 45 appearances for Bayern.
Now that framework has been placed and held in the Tottenham squad, Postecoglou must throw the kitchen sink at keeping Romero at the core of his plans over the coming years, lest Spurs suffer a regression and fail to realise their trophy-triumphing potential.
I played with Kane & Dele at Spurs, now I'm having a nightmare in Romania
This Spurs ace played alongside Harry Kane and Dele Alli but is now struggling out in Romania.
ByMatt Dawson