Harry Kane, for most of his career, was one of Tottenham Hotspur’s most prized assets, given his incredible numbers and influence on the club.
Kane is Tottenham’s all-time top scorer and has been one of Europe’s most consistent strikers for well over a decade.
With Spurs failing to secure silverware during his time in north London, it always felt like only a matter of time before he eventually moved on.
Manchester City were long-time admirers of Kane and made serious attempts to sign him in the summer of 2023, but Spurs under Daniel Levy proved a difficult side to negotiate with.
The Englishman eventually joined Bayern Munich and has continued to impress, scoring over a century of goals since his move to Germany.
David Pleat told Daniel Levy to sign Liam Delap and Cole Palmer for Tottenham
In the latest episode of the No Tippy Tappy Football podcast, former Tottenham boss and director/scout David Pleat revealed that he had urged Daniel Levy to demand two highly rated Manchester City youngsters in exchange for Harry Kane, who was being strongly linked with a move to the Premier League champions in 2021.
As Pleat recalled, that was effectively the end of the saga surrounding Kane’s potential move to City, although he admitted that no genuine conversations took place between the two clubs regarding a transfer.
“According to Daniel, they never picked up the phone,” Pleat said. “It was all paper talk, that £150 million. They were waiting, they were playing a game as most managers do.
“I told Daniel at the time, ‘If you get whatever you think he is worth or you eventually agree, make sure you get two players from Manchester City from their academy, Liam Delap and Cole Palmer.’ I did say that.”
Spurs’ current situation without Harry Kane
History shows that Daniel Levy obviously did not take Pleat’s advice, with Kane ultimately sealing a move to Bayern Munich.
Tottenham received £100 million from his sale, and that money has since been reinvested into the squad, yet many fans would argue that Spurs have still not truly replaced their former talisman.
Dominic Solanke was brought in as the new number nine, but he has yet to light up N17 and is currently sidelined through injury.
Palmer, on the other hand, has proven to be an outstanding acquisition for Chelsea, who signed him on deadline day in 2023 for £42.5 million.
Since then, the Englishman has scored 45 goals and registered 29 assists across 101 appearances in all competitions, also earning a place in the 2025 Ballon d’Or rankings where he finished eighth.