Harry Kane has put the world’s biggest teams on alert after he told Tottenham Hotspur he wants to leave this summer.
The England captain has reportedly run out of patience with the club’s failure to secure major trophies, and made it known he wants a move away.
The 27-year-old striker, who came through the ranks at Spurs and is regarded as “Mr Tottenham”, is said to prefer the idea of a move within the Premier League, although Spain is also an option.
But, with football’s transfer market so uncertain given the effect of the pandemic, which of the leading suitors would be Kane’s most likely destination?
Manchester United
Kane has made no secret of the fact he has eyes on Alan Shearer’s record as the all-time leading Premier League goalscorer. He needs 95 more to achieve that, which might be part of the reason he favours a move to another English team.
United, for their part, are said to be planning to spend big this summer, in an attempt to appease fans still livid at the club's owners over the Super League fiasco.
There is a recent precedent for a beloved Spurs striker engineering a move away and ending up at Old Trafford.
If Kane is to follow the path trodden by Dimitar Berbatov in 2008, he can be sure Daniel Levy, the Spurs chairman, will drive a hard bargain.
Expect negotiations to linger interminably, if this is the course of action that follows. Levy would likely hold out for more than £120 million ($170.2m).
Manchester City
Pep Guardiola tried to claim recently that Erling Haaland, Borussia Dortmund's wunderkind, will be beyond Manchester City's means when he is inevitably transferred this summer.
Whether that is true or not, the Norwegian striker does not seem an altogether perfect fit with City.
For all his extraordinary scoring exploits, Haaland did not excel in Dortmund’s matches against them in the Champions League, and is not a prototypical Guardiola forward.
Would Kane be a better replacement when Sergio Aguero departs the Etihad Stadium this month? Could City become The Harry Kane Team?
He has shown this season, by way of 13 assists for Spurs, that he is no longer the old-style, focal-point No 9 he was seen to be previously, making him a better fit for City’s fluid system. City is also said to be Kane’s preferred option.
Chelsea
Given Kane’s affinity with Spurs – he is one of their own – a switch from the north London club to their bitter rivals to the west seems inconceivable. A move up north would be just about bearable.
But to Chelsea? Stranger things have happened. If it did happen, Kane would likely attract much of the same scorn and hatred that was meted out to Sol Campbell when he swapped to Arsenal 20 years ago.
From Chelsea’s point of view, though, the move would make sense. The fact they have reached two major cup finals and are in the running for Champions League football next season qualifies as a reasonably successful campaign. Yet they have done it all without a regular goalscorer.
Since November, Timo Werner has scored only one more Premier League goal than Alisson Becker, the Liverpool goalkeeper.
Kai Havertz has been undermined by illness after his big money arrival, while Tammy Abraham appears to be on his way out.
Kane would guarantee a solution to those problems, and make Chelsea title contenders again.
Atletico Madrid
Atletico are on the brink of the Primera Liga title thanks largely to the goals of Luis Suarez. The Uruguayan striker has scored 20 goals in the 31 games since his surprise switch from Barcelona last summer.
He is 34 now, though, and Spain’s champions elect are making plans for the future in his position.
Kane has many of the attributes Diego Simeone, Atletico’s manager, values – chiefly that he is ultra-clinical in front of goal, but also with his work-rate and his nous at drawing fouls.
And ex-Spurs players have recent history of success at the Wanda Metropolitano. Kieran Trippier, Kane’s former colleague at Tottenham, has been an integral part of Atletico’s success.
Kane’s sudden availability may be a little too late for this move to happen, though. Atletico have reportedly sewn up the signing of Lautaro Martinez from Inter Milan – despite the Argentina No 9’s protestations to the contrary this week.
Real Madrid
Florentino Perez, the club's president, has been clinging on vainly to his Super League dream as he hopes it will help revive the club's parlous finances.
The vast hole in their bank account means Madrid are not the irresistible force they once were in the transfer market.
However, they are still likely to spend this summer. What rank of Galactico they can afford remains to be seen, but they are apparently planning a firesale to finance it – with as many as 10 players, including Eden Hazard, said to be available for transfer.
Whether they can recoup enough to finance a deal for Kane is debatable.
And would they want him anyway? Karim Benzema, their current centre forward, has been one of their most consistent performers of recent times.
The specs: 2018 Jaguar F-Type Convertible
Price, base / as tested: Dh283,080 / Dh318,465
Engine: 2.0-litre inline four-cylinder
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 295hp @ 5,500rpm
Torque: 400Nm @ 1,500rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 7.2L / 100km
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm
Price: From Dh1,700,000
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Read more about the coronavirus
Rock in a Hard Place: Music and Mayhem in the Middle East
Orlando Crowcroft
Zed Books
Zayed Sustainability Prize
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Results
Stage 7:
1. Caleb Ewan (AUS) Lotto Soudal - 3:18:29
2. Sam Bennett (IRL) Deceuninck-QuickStep - same time
3. Phil Bauhaus (GER) Bahrain Victorious
4. Michael Morkov (DEN) Deceuninck-QuickStep
5. Cees Bol (NED) Team DSM
General Classification:
1. Tadej Pogacar (SLO) UAE Team Emirates - 24:00:28
2. Adam Yates (GBR) Ineos Grenadiers - 0:00:35
3. Joao Almeida (POR) Deceuninck-QuickStep - 0:01:02
4. Chris Harper (AUS) Jumbo-Visma - 0:01:42
5. Neilson Powless (USA) EF Education-Nippo - 0:01:45
MATCH INFO
Arsenal 1 (Aubameyang 12’) Liverpool 1 (Minamino 73’)
Arsenal win 5-4 on penalties
Man of the Match: Ainsley Maitland-Niles (Arsenal)
MORE ON TURKEY'S SYRIA OFFENCE
What is type-1 diabetes
Type 1 diabetes is a genetic and unavoidable condition, rather than the lifestyle-related type 2 diabetes.
It occurs mostly in people under 40 and a result of the pancreas failing to produce enough insulin to regulate blood sugars.
Too much or too little blood sugar can result in an attack where sufferers lose consciousness in serious cases.
Being overweight or obese increases the chances of developing the more common type 2 diabetes.
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Tightening the screw on rogue recruiters
The UAE overhauled the procedure to recruit housemaids and domestic workers with a law in 2017 to protect low-income labour from being exploited.
Only recruitment companies authorised by the government are permitted as part of Tadbeer, a network of labour ministry-regulated centres.
A contract must be drawn up for domestic workers, the wages and job offer clearly stating the nature of work.
The contract stating the wages, work entailed and accommodation must be sent to the employee in their home country before they depart for the UAE.
The contract will be signed by the employer and employee when the domestic worker arrives in the UAE.
Only recruitment agencies registered with the ministry can undertake recruitment and employment applications for domestic workers.
Penalties for illegal recruitment in the UAE include fines of up to Dh100,000 and imprisonment
But agents not authorised by the government sidestep the law by illegally getting women into the country on visit visas.
F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
List of alleged parties
- May 15 2020: Boris Johnson is said to have attended a Downing Street pizza party
- 27 Nov 2020: PM gives speech at leaving do for his staff
- Dec 10 2020: Staff party held by then-education secretary Gavin Williamson
- Dec 13 2020: Mr Johnson and his then-fiancee Carrie Symonds throw a flat party
- Dec 14 2020: Shaun Bailey holds staff party at Conservative Party headquarters
- Dec 15 2020: PM takes part in a staff quiz
- Dec 18 2020: Downing Street Christmas party
Results:
Men's 100m T34: 1. Walid Ktila (TUN) 15 sec; 2. Rheed McCracken (AUS) 15.40; 3. Mohammed Al Hammadi (UAE) 15.75. Men's 400m T34: 1. Walid Ktila (TUN) 50.56; 2. Mohammed Al Hammadi (UAE) 50.94; 3. Henry Manni (FIN) 52.24.
'Texas Chainsaw Massacre'
Rating: 1 out of 4
Running time: 81 minutes
Director: David Blue Garcia
Starring: Sarah Yarkin, Elsie Fisher, Mark Burnham
The specs
Engine: Four electric motors, one at each wheel
Power: 579hp
Torque: 859Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh825,900
On sale: Now
What is the FNC?
The Federal National Council is one of five federal authorities established by the UAE constitution. It held its first session on December 2, 1972, a year to the day after Federation.
It has 40 members, eight of whom are women. The members represent the UAE population through each of the emirates. Abu Dhabi and Dubai have eight members each, Sharjah and Ras al Khaimah six, and Ajman, Fujairah and Umm Al Quwain have four.
They bring Emirati issues to the council for debate and put those concerns to ministers summoned for questioning.
The FNC’s main functions include passing, amending or rejecting federal draft laws, discussing international treaties and agreements, and offering recommendations on general subjects raised during sessions.
Federal draft laws must first pass through the FNC for recommendations when members can amend the laws to suit the needs of citizens. The draft laws are then forwarded to the Cabinet for consideration and approval.
Since 2006, half of the members have been elected by UAE citizens to serve four-year terms and the other half are appointed by the Ruler’s Courts of the seven emirates.
In the 2015 elections, 78 of the 252 candidates were women. Women also represented 48 per cent of all voters and 67 per cent of the voters were under the age of 40.
Top tips
Create and maintain a strong bond between yourself and your child, through sensitivity, responsiveness, touch, talk and play. “The bond you have with your kids is the blueprint for the relationships they will have later on in life,” says Dr Sarah Rasmi, a psychologist.
Set a good example. Practise what you preach, so if you want to raise kind children, they need to see you being kind and hear you explaining to them what kindness is. So, “narrate your behaviour”.
Praise the positive rather than focusing on the negative. Catch them when they’re being good and acknowledge it.
Show empathy towards your child’s needs as well as your own. Take care of yourself so that you can be calm, loving and respectful, rather than angry and frustrated.
Be open to communication, goal-setting and problem-solving, says Dr Thoraiya Kanafani. “It is important to recognise that there is a fine line between positive parenting and becoming parents who overanalyse their children and provide more emotional context than what is in the child’s emotional development to understand.”
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