COMMENT: For Harry Kane, this is it. The time has come. Inside the final 18 months of his contract. With his 30th birthday just months away. He now needs to decide - is it club or career...?
At another club. In another situation. This would be enough to give any player pause for thought. But this is Tottenham. Today's Tottenham. And given the chaos of this past fortnight, Kane's career ambitions are now under the spotlight's full glare.
Manchester United are circling. Bayern Munich too. And word has it that Kane has let it be known a move to Old Trafford - this time - would be seriously considered. That Erik ten Hag, the United manager, has demanded they make their pitch, despite the tension with Spurs chairman Daniel Levy, says everything about how serious they are. John Murtough, United's technical director, has continency plans drawn up. But Ten Hag has made it clear: every avenue must be exhausted before they give up on Tottenham's centre-forward.
As we say, it's now club or career for England's captain. If Kane is still in a Lilywhite shirt for the start of next season, you can declare he's sacrificed everything - and we mean everything - for this club. Any ambitions of silverware. Of chasing down those titles. They'll be gone. Erased. Kane committing to Spurs at 30 would effectively mean him becoming the standard bearer for club before career. He'd not only throw in with a club where nearly enough is always good enough. But he'd also be doing the same with this current dressing room. A dressing room of inferior players - both in ability and professionally. Teammates who have let him down. Time and again. Players. Friends. That Kane has had to turn a blind eye to. And consistently forgive. A squad which pushed out managers he'd struck an affinity with. Managers the striker believed could take both his football and the club to the elite level. Only to be undermined by this dressing room and it's sycophants.
We know Kane was close to Jose Mourinho. His teammates weren't. As were some of the long-time coaching staff. Ryan Mason, infamously, sniping at Mourinho's style of football just weeks before he'd step in for League Cup final week after the ridiculous sacking of the Portuguese. The demise of Mourinho was one that hit Kane hard.
The relationship with Antonio Conte wasn't as strong. But that had more to do with the Italian's approach to man-management than anything else. Kane still could recognise a winner in Conte. He could see where he wanted to take the team. And significantly, was fully on-board.
Unfortunately Kane - just like with Mourinho - was in the minority. Yes, Conte talked his way out of the job after the rage of St Mary's. But the writing was on the wall long before the Southampton rant. The leaks. The moaning. The criticism. It was Mourinho all over again. And with the same result.
Many blame Levy. That he should be stronger. But it's passing the buck. There's something rotten with this group. Quite rightfully, many in the press have pointed out the tragedies Conte has endured this past year. The gallbladder surgery and it's complications aside, the Italian has seen dear friends Gianluca Vialli, Sinisa Mihajlovic and Tottenham's fitness coach Gian Piero Ventrone all pass away. And instead of rallying behind their manager, this lot let him down.
Harsh? No. Just consider what happened this week. More leaks. More moans from this Tottenham dressing room. With Conte gone, word from the locker room reached the press about crisis talks in January. Complaints from senior players about "rigid tactics". About "2km pre-match runs". They were "baffled", it was claimed.
Well, for this column, if a footballer can't knock off a 2km run before a game - and feel fresh and ready from it - they have no business being in the sport. But this goes beyond drills and good habits. Just like with Mourinho, this is all about a mediocre, non-achieving group of players believing they know better. Antonio Conte - a champion in Italy and in England. Jose Mourinho, ditto, plus Spain. Who are these players to question the methods of such men? Or better yet, who are the sycophants that these players allow to drip poison in their ears everytime things get a little bit difficult? That this lot allowed such information to reach the press after the manager's exit says everything about their character.
This is what lies ahead for Kane - should he choose to stay. As Conte's departure has shown. Mourinho was no-off. This is it. This is Tottenham. As sure as night follows day. The cycle will continue.
If Kane chooses not to agitate. Not to fight. Not to do everything in his power to get his move to Old Trafford. Then he'll be making one of the greatest sacrifices we've seen from a footballer in modern times.
To commit the remaining years of his career to today's Tottenham...? This really would be the ultimate club before career choice.
