There are less than four weeks before the August 31 deadline for summer transfers. England captain Harry Kane is still the center of a battle between Tottenham Hotspur (Manchester City) and England.- Watch ESPN FC Daily on ESPN+ (U.S. Only)- Do you not have ESPN? Get instant accessThe contract to Spurs runs until the 2023-24 season. He has made it clear that his goal is to leave Spurs to improve his chances of winning major honours. His failure to report to training this week only serves to emphasize his determination to move forward.Spurs will face City in the Premier League opener, Aug. 15. However, the clubs are still at odds over Kane's valuation and the dispute is not likely to be resolved soon.Is there a way to make Kane happy, with a bitter transfer saga raging between now and the deadline?Harry Kane still has three years on his contract. This leaves Spurs in a strong position to negotiate. Tottenham Hotspur FC/Tottenham Hotspur FC via Getty ImagesKane is wanted by who and what's his worth?Man City is the club that is making the most of Kane's situation.Pep Guardiola, City manager of Barcelona, has allowed Sergio Aguero, the all-time top goal scorer, to leave the club as a free agent. Kane is the perfect candidate to fill that void. Kane is the No. 1 target.ESPN has been informed by sources that Kane wants to play in the Champions League for the Premier League champions at the Etihad Stadium.Spurs chairman Daniel Levy said that Kane is only halfway through his six-year contract, which he signed in 2018. This is 60m less than City's value.If City is willing to increase their 100m offer to players, there could be room for negotiation -- Bernardo Silva and Riyad Mahrez have been suggested as possible part exchange options -- but for now Spurs aren't moving.Kane has suffered several injuries in recent seasons and at 28 160m seems out of tune with a game that was hit hard by COVID-19. However, Spurs will argue that their player still has a long term to run on his contract. City is one of the few clubs that can find the money.play 1:08 Has Harry Kane put himself in a corner at Tottenham? Julien Laurens comment on Harry Kane's failure to report to Tottenham training amid reports that he is looking for a move to Man City.Who will blink first?There are indications that Kane is trying to calm the waters. Kane has been on vacation and has not yet returned to the United Kingdom. However, sources say that he will report to Spurs after completing the mandatory five-day isolation period.Kane did, however, make a statement of intent when he went on strike and failed to return by the agreed date. Spurs know Kane will be tough, but his actions will not decide this transfer. Levy and Khaldoon Al-Mubarak, his City counterpart, will have to come to a compromise.It is rare for football clubs to keep players who are willing to leave. This is considered a recipe to destroy squad morale, as it allows unhappy and disruptive players to be present in the dressing room. This figure can cause discord among supporters.If their valuation is met, the Spurs will accept the transfer and Levy is open to negotiations. City is confident about Kane's arrival because other clubs will always be interested in a deal for players whose main focus is elsewhere.Why is Levy considered a hard negotiator?City was a key factor in Levy's success. In 2008, he forced Man United to pay 30.75m for Dimitar Berbatov.Levy was strengthened by United's attempts to take the Bulgarian from him on the day before his City takeover. His hard-negotiating helped him to squeeze an additional 5.75m for the deal.Since then, he has used similar deadline-day tactics in order to sign or offload players; Real Madrid paid 85m to sign Gareth Bale for 2013. Levy views Spurs as a club of heavyweight and enjoys the chance to leave City and United disappointed. But he might have met his match with Al Mubarak.Although City spent a lot of money on players during Abu Dhabi's early days, they have been able to play a different game over the years. Their largest transfer expenditure was 63 million for Ruben Dias, their defender.City has walked away before from transfers: Virgil van Dijk was a target until the club refused the valuations of Southampton City and Leicester City respectively. The club allowed the defenders, who were then free to join Liverpool and Man United.Spurs and Levy face the risk of City walking away if they refuse or are not willing to compromise. They will be left with an unhappy player and no money to sign new players.Can Kane stay?MARK OGDEN Get the latest news from ESPN FC senior journalist Mark Ogden.Kane announced his desire to leave Tottenham at the end last season. It was received with resignation by Tottenham fans. However, he has since lost the goodwill of Tottenham and damaged his relationship to the club and its supporters by not returning to training.However, players from the past have proven that there is always a way to get back in. Wayne Rooney (Manchester United), Carlos Tevez(City) or Luis Suarez (“Liverpool”) all tried to leave their clubs by taking hardline positions, but they quickly returned to the game and scored some important goals.Kane could do the same, and it is hard to imagine him not performing as he has always performed. However, he may be treated the same way Rooney at United by being loved but not accepted by his supporters, who, let's just remember, said that he was "one of our own". Many were surprised by Kane's unusual actions this week, which was out of character for an uncontroversial consummate professional.play 1:34 Is Manchester City able to land Kane and Grealish? Mark Ogden explains how Manchester City might get Harry Kane and Jack Grealish.Man City will push hard for Kane's deal.Although the days of City being exploited to extract huge transfer fees are over, they are determined and will do everything in their power to secure a replacement for Aguero. They know that he wants to join them, and that Spurs will do business with him for the right deal. So it's a matter of finding common ground.They have plenty of time, and will continue for at least another two-three weeks. However, there must be a cut-off so that they can switch targets.Romelu Lukaku was another option. However, the Inter forward looks poised for a return to Chelsea. Bayern Munich's Robert Lewandowski could be another option, as the striker is currently unavailable due to the expiration of his contract in 2023.play 2:01 Why Kane could transfer from Spurs Mark Ogden believes that the availability of Kylian Maappe and Erling Hailand next summer could have an impact on Harry Kane’s future.Kane could be moving next summer, insteadWhile Kane is healthy and scoring goals, there will always be a market. However, the landscape could change next summer as Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappe could be available. Mbappe is yet to sign a contract extension at PSG so he would be considered a free agent. Haaland's release clause of 66m in his Borussia Dortmund contract, however, will be active.Kane will, undoubtedly, find himself at the bottom of the transfer market hierarchy if he is forced to stay at Tottenham for another season before looking for a bigger club next summer. The race to find the best young forwards in Europe will be fought by all the major European clubs.Kane might not be able to choose as many clubs this summer, but he would still be able to find appealing options. It would also be easier for Kane to make a move within 12 months of his contract's final two years. However, top clubs would be cautious about spending large sums on a 29 year-old.What will Kane look like on September 1st?City has the financial resources to make a deal. Money is always king in football. Kane wants it to happen so that he can seal a deal this month.Spurs must act quickly if they want to make a deal. The worst case scenario is to sell their star player during the last days of the window, leaving them with very little time to replace him. Expect a move to be made before the end of the transfer window.
