Harry Kane’s Tottenham future is back on the agenda.
Multiple outlets, including the Athletic, claim he wants to leave Spurs this summer.
They claim the interested clubs are Manchester City, Manchester United, Chelsea, Paris Saint-Germain and Barcelona.
Real Madrid are not named in the report, but were linked with a swoop by AS in April 2020.
Could Real re-enter the race?
Madrid’s financial problems are well-known.
They’re trying to knock down their wage bill to balance the books and cannot afford a superstar signing this summer without doing that.
But Daniel Levy reportedly won’t consider selling Kane to another English club, which could give Madrid encouragement.
Real have also done business with Levy before over Gareth Bale and Luka Modric.
Levy won’t want to sell Kane but him moving abroad would be better than the alternative; that he stays in the Premier League and spearheads a title charge at City, United or Chelsea.
What could it mean for Bale?
One of the players Madrid would love to have off their wage bill is Gareth Bale.
Perhaps a permanent return to Spurs could be sealed as part of a deal which takes Kane to Madrid.
Kane leaving would free up the salary to sign Bale, provided the Welshman is sensible and doesn’t expect to retain his reported £600,000-a-week salary.
No Tottenham fan would want to lose Kane, and no player can replace him.
But re-signing Bale would take a small amount of sting out of the blow and give whoever the new Spurs manager proves to be an elite attacker to build his side around at least.
Are there any other Real players of interest?
Modric coming back would be emotional but he’s 35 now and his best years are behind him.
Spurs were linked with Madrid’s Eder Militao in January and he could help bolster a defence which needs an overhaul whether or not Kane stays.
Mauricio Pochettino reportedly rejected the chance to land Marco Asensio for Spurs, but the 25-year-old wideman would be an exciting signing.
It was reported last month that Lucaz Vasquez wanted to join Tottenham, but that was while Jose Mourinho remained in charge.
Isco is another high-earner Madrid would reportedly happily lose this summer.
He has undoubted quality and could have a James Rodriguez-style impact on the Premier League.
That might mean moments of brilliance but an inability to play three games a week at a high tempo.
So there are ways that Madrid could come back in for Kane and give Spurs something they want in return.
But of course nothing could soften the blow of losing Kane, and in this pandemic-affected market, it remains hugely doubtful whether any club will pay a price Levy deems acceptable.
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