Tottenham Hotspur, and in particular, Daniel Levy, deserve great credit for not bowing to the pressure to sell Harry Kane and keeping him to his previously agreed contract terms.
The striker will undoubtedly be unhappy at the way things turned out, but it’s a shot in the arm for other clubs and their owners.
It goes to show, to some degree at least, that players and their representatives don’t always hold all the aces.
The suggestion that the failed move to Man City is what’s behind his poor form of late hasn’t found favour with former Liverpool legend, Robbie Fowler.
A striker that knows all about wanting to leave a club for whom you’ve given your all, Fowler has slammed as lazy those who continue to bleat about Kane not being at it.
“I’ve heard all the snide comments and poisonous accusations, but I’d be amazed if Harry Kane is tossing it off at Spurs,” he wrote in the Daily Mirror.
“Yeah, no doubt, he’s had a bad start to the season. And yes, Tottenham’s last two Premier League performances have been disastrous. But it’s just lazy to suggest the reason for that is he doesn’t want to play any more.”
If it’s a ploy from Kane to ensure the club accede to his wishes in a future transfer window, it’s a very dangerous game to be playing.
Not to mention that his form generally for England would be likely to suffer too.
The likelihood is, like all good strikers, Kane is going through a rough patch in front of goal, but the expectation will be that it will soon end.