Klinsmann has sympathy for wantaway Spurs superstar Kane

Former Tottenham favourite Jurgen Klinsmann has sympathy for Harry Kane as he attempts to plot a move away from the club.

Widespread reports claim Kane is looking for a way out of Spurs after an underwhelming 2020-21 campaign for the team. Tottenham – who sacked Jose Mourinho late in the season – finished seventh in the Premier League, only enough for Europa Conference League qualification, and lost the EFL Cup final.

This was despite Kane scoring 23 goals and providing 14 assists, making him only the second player in the Premier League era to lead the division in both categories (also Andy Cole in 1993-94).

Indeed, only Klinsmann, in 1994-95, had previously provided 20 goals and 10 assists for Spurs in a single season in the competition.

Manchester City, Manchester United and Chelsea have all been suggested as possible destinations for the three-time Golden Boot winner, and Klinsmann, while keen for Kane to stay, understands his motivations.

The German compared the situation to his own departure in 1995, when he left seventh-placed Tottenham for Bayern Munich and scored 31 goals in 65 Bundesliga games across two seasons.

“I feel sympathy for both sides, especially Harry, who has been the flag of the club for so many years,” Klinsmann told Sky Sports. “He’s done so much for them.

“The market is out there for him. Teams would grab him right away and they’d probably put down a lot of money.

3 – Harry Kane has won the Premier League Golden Boot for a third season (also 2015-16 & 2016-17), becoming only the third player to win the award as many as three times, after Thierry Henry (4) and Alan Shearer (3). Magic. pic.twitter.com/McsAaFLjQJ

— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) May 23, 2021

“I personally hope he stays at Spurs but I also can understand him. I was in that situation in 1995. I badly wanted silverware and it worked out that way. I went to Bayern Munch and won the UEFA Cup and German championship.

“If Harry leaves then you have a problem because maybe Son [Heung-min] says: ‘Hang on, I might move on as well then.’

“The most important path now is to sit down with Harry, discuss the situation and lay out how he can continue his career with Spurs, how the roster will look for next season to make the squad even stronger.

“The quality is there. It needs a bit of fixing up but the key figure in all this is definitely Harry Kane. You’ve got to do everything possible to keep him.”

Klinsmann, who later returned to White Hart Lane and ended his Premier League career with 29 goals – one every 169 minutes – in 56 games, went into coaching following his retirement.

He has led Germany, Bayern, the United States and Hertha Berlin but is now available as Tottenham look for their next manager.

“Definitely you’d entertain it, no doubt,” Klinsmann said when asked if he would consider a call from Spurs. “[Daniel Levy] has my number, he can call me anytime. Spurs is something that you’d always consider.

“I’m always in touch and doing stuff with Spurs is always something special. I had the best time of my life there during my two spells.

“In the football world, things happen so fast. I never thought I’d coach Germany or the United States, so you have to have an open mind. You have to always think about new challenges, so why not Spurs?”