AFP, LONDON: Gary Lineker has told Tottenham Hotspur they risk losing star striker Harry Kane if they fail to mount a credible challenge for major titles, saying the London club need to “decide what they are”.
Boyhood Tottenham fan Kane rose through the ranks at White Hart Lane and the 24-year-old has now scored 128 goals in 194 appearances for Spurs and in the process surpassed Teddy Sheringham as the club's record goalscorer in the Premier League.
Kane has also been the leading Premier League goalscorer for each of the past two seasons and so far this term averages a goal a game.
Tottenham, however, have not won a major trophy since they last lifted the English League Cup a decade ago and many of their fans fear that Kane could leave if that lack of silverware continues this season.
Former Spurs and England forward Lineker said Tottenham didn't just have to match the wages on offer at Europe's leading clubs but their ambitions as well, otherwise there was every chance Kane could follow the example of Gareth Bale, who left to join Real Madrid in a then world-record deal worth some £85 million ($121 million, 97 million euros) in 2013.
“I think Tottenham have to decide what they are,” Lineker told Britain's Press Association on Thursday.
“I think if they want to keep the likes of Kane and (Dele) Alli, their star players, they'll have to pay the going rate, or get close to it and they'll also have to bring players in and challenge for titles because the great players want to win things, they want to be at places where they can do that.
“I suspect Harry Kane, he'd love that to happen, I think that would be his preference.”
Nevertheless Lineker, promoting the It's a Penalty campaign which aims to prevent the abuse, exploitation and trafficking of children from across the world, said Spurs could nor rely on Kane's childhood loyalties alone.
“If Tottenham don't show the same ambition perhaps as one or two of the players, then they'll get a little bit disgruntled and they might seek different areas and different places to play, so it's a bit of a watershed moment for Tottenham.”