Gary Lineker does not have any doubts that Tottenham Hotspur would have qualified for the Champions League had they not sold Harry Kane last summer.
It is fair to say that not a lot of pundits gave Spurs a chance of finishing in the top six after Kane’s departure to Bayern Munich last summer, with the likes of Paul Merson suggesting that the Lilywhites would even struggle to finish in the top half of the table without their record goalscorer (Sky Sports).
Those sorts of predictions were understandable as the England captain had carried Spurs in the 2022-23 campaign, with the North London club finishing in eighth place despite the fact that the striker scored 30 times.
However, Spurs have not had an issue finding the back of the net this season despite losing Kane, with many of their attacking players stepping up and making up for his missed goals.
Where would Spurs have finished with Harry Kane in the team?
Tottenham’s issues have been on the other end of the pitch as they have leaked too many goals, which meant that they were pipped by Aston Villa to fourth place.
Reflecting on Spurs’ season, Lineker remarked on The Rest is Football podcast: “I still think, with Harry Kane, they would’ve made top-four.”
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It is certainly not a bold claim to suggest that Spurs would have finished at least one place higher if they had not sold the best number nine in the world.
One can argue that Postecoglou’s men might have pipped Villa to fourth if Richarlison had stayed fit through the second half of the campaign.