Does Kane's absence mean he's leaving?

FT Desk

• Updated: 15 Aug 2021 16:30 BST
• 3 min read

Harry Kane did not travel with Tottenham for their Premier League opener against Manchester City on Sunday.

Officially, the reason given for his absence was because he was not fully fit for the game.

The Athletic’s David Ornstein reported that Kane only returned to training on Friday and was not deemed ready to be involved either from the start or from the bench.

Does Kane absence mean he’s leaving?

However, Kane’s non-appearance has only further fuelled rumours that he has been left out due to his ongoing transfer situation.

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Manchester City have been very public in their desire to sign Kane this summer in another €100 million-plus deal and it is a transfer that the striker is desperate to make.

Kane has still not won a trophy during his entire career despite recently turning 28 and he realises this may be his last chance of a big move.

However, Tottenham have made it very clear to Kane that they won’t sell.

This led to the attacker allegedly not turning up for training last week as he believed that there was a gentleman’s agreement dating back from last year to let him leave this summer.

The Euro 2020 star denied publicly that he refused to train but did so without committing his future to Spurs.

Your team to face @ManCity! 🙌 pic.twitter.com/BUFdDIMny8

— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) August 15, 2021

It is possible that Kane is not prepared to play for Spurs while this is all hanging over his head. It is equally possible that Tottenham feel the same way, especially given the fact that City are Sunday’s opponents.

But there is also the possibility that, if negotiations are still open or advanced, Man City have requested that Kane doesn’t play so not to risk injury.

However, some social media users have pointed out that apart from Jordan Henderson – who missed Liverpool’s win over Norwich – Kane is the only England player from the Euro 2020 final not to be involved in their squad this weekend.

The speculation will no doubt rumble on, especially as Tottenham continue negotiations to sign Dusan Vlahovic from Fiorentina. The Italian side are demanding at least €60-70m for the striker.

Meanwhile, Jack Grealish makes his Premier League debut for City following his £100m move from Aston Villa.