Scouting Potential Tottenham Strikers: Harry Kane

NAME: Harry Edward Kane
AGE: 20 (By August 17, 2013)
HEIGHT: 6’2
WEIGHT: 145 lbs
FOOT: Right
NATIONALITY: English
CURRENT CLUB: Tottenham
*LEAGUE APPEARANCES: 6 (13)
GOALS: 2
WHOSCORED.COM LEAGUE RATING: 6.35
WHOSCORED EUROPEAN RATING: N/A
VALUE: 500,000 Euros

Tottenham have always been a club looking to spend the least amount of money possible. In recent years the Tottenham squad has overachieved on this austere budget. Luka Modric was the club’s biggest signing at 16.5 Million Euros an amount put to shame when one only has to look at Manchester City’s two confirmed signings of 2013, Jesus Navas and Fernadinho and Chelsea who have just purchased another attacking midfielder for 20 Million Euros and just a year ago when Manchester United were willing to pay out 24 Million Euros for an aging Dutch Striker with past injury problems. Meanwhile Arsenal were reportedly willing to match Mario Gotze’s buyout clause before his move to Bavaria but they now appear to have all but confirmed a move for Real Madrid and Argentine striker Gonzalo Higuain. If Tottenham continue to fail to spend big money on a striker they may look inwards to fix their striker problem by looking at academy graduate Harry Kane. Harry Kane is an unproven English striker who is serving his national team at the U-20s World Cup. Kane recently scored a goal to salvage his nation’s chances of progressing in the tournament. Since the 2009-10 season Kane has appeared sparingly, if at all, instead spending most of his time gaining experience while out on loan. He started off with nPower League 1 side Leyton Orient F.C. then was sent out to Millwall before a fruitless spell at Norwich City saw him recalled and then part of a Leicester City team that earned a playoff spot in 2013.

Overall, Kane has been unimpressive in his loans out to other teams. This season could have seen him break out on his loan to Norwich City. Grant Holt and then Luciano Becchio from Leeds United were the only recognizable strikers to play for a side that found goals anemic. Kane however only started one game with two substitution appearances and a return of zero goals. Romelu Lukaku on the other hand found himself on loan at West Brom and the Belgium international was able to earn twenty starting gigs and fifteen substitution appearances while knocking in 17 goals. The young striker from East London possesses all the qualities sought in a class striker and his physical attributes seem to be suited to Tottenham’s style of play. Even with his height and weight, Kane is deceptively quick and agile. While his league form has yet to amount to too many goals, at the U-20s Kane has scored two goals for a team struggling to produce good results.

VERDICT: Harry Kane may develop into a good striker, a striker who could star for England and fulfill the potential people seem to have in him. However, AVB does not seem to rate him highly and seems to be looking for alternatives. The positives of Harry Kane include his age and physical attributes while his negatives include a lack of experience and lack of a finished product. Kane is also not very good at finding channels in the final third and instead looks to pull defenders instead of finding open space for himself. That style may relate well to working with Gareth Bale but Kane would first have to score goals to warrant any attention from Premier League Center-halves. Kane’s lack of starts is worrying as he has yet to earn any of the valuable experience loans are supposed to be for. In conclusion, 2013-14 will see Harry Kane staying with Tottenham Hotspur as a substitute but is not at all the answer to their ailing striker situation.

*Includes starts in Championship and Premier League.