Get ready for more Harry Kane drama this summer

Anyone who thought the Harry Kane transfer drama was over and done with now that he’s happy playing under Antonio Conte and Tottenham Hotspur refused to sell him... oh, you sweet summer child. It will never end.

One day after Tottenham were bounced from the FA Cup by Middlesbrough, a mid-table Championship club, there are new suggestions that another year without a trophy might be determinative to his future at the club. Dan Kilpatrick in the Standard writes that it’s now “50/50” as to whether Kane will try to force another move out of North London when the transfer window opens up this summer.

Now, I have a ton of respect for Dan and what he does, so I have no doubt that he has sources that are relaying that info to him. And by “sources” I mean Charlie Kane. I mean, we probably shouldn’t be surprised — Kane only stayed this year under duress, and while he’s been making all the right noises about loving playing under Conte he’s also made no secret that he wants to win things before he hangs up his boots.

The FA Cup was Tottenham’s last opportunity to win a trophy this season, but let’s be honest — winning cups is hard and this FA Cup was looking like a gauntlet no matter what happened this season, especially after most of the lower-league teams were drawn against Premier League sides in the fifth round.

Kilpatrick also notes that this summer’s transfer window could be crucial to whether or not Kane stays or goes.

Kane’s decision could ultimately hinge on Conte’s own future and whether the head coach is sufficiently backed to overhaul the squad, but last night’s result was a blow to Spurs’ hopes of avoiding another protracted summer of unrest and speculation.

That’s great, but also what does Kane expect? It’d be unusual for Spurs to do a bunch of business early in the window, and trying to decide whether to force a move while evaluating how Conte is backed is kinda dumb. Spurs are likely going to want to know if they can count on reinvesting any Kane sale money as soon as possible so they can pre-spend some of it, but that would mean Kane would’ve already decided whether he wants to stay or go and the club as to whether they intend to sell him. Everything’s happening at the same time in this scenario, so it seems like a dumb metric by which to decide whether or not you want to stay at a club.

Anyway, all that’s to say: Charlie Kane is annoying, and we’re gonna be talking about this until the end of August, by the end of which I will be rocking in a corner begging everything to stop. Or posting header photos of Kane falling over again. Maybe both.