Dubai: Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino’s new five-year deal will play a massive role in persuading Harry Kane to stay, according to Dubai-based former Spurs striker Freddie Kanoute.
Both manager and player were tipped to move this summer after the North London club again failed to turn their recent reawakening under Pochettino into silverware last season.
However, with the Argentine coach tying himself down until 2023 on Thursday, Kanoute thinks Kane, whose own contract expires in 2022, should also stay.
“If Pochettino stays it will play a big role in Kane’s decision,” Kanoute told Gulf News on the sidelines of his Kafo Academy at Foremarke School in Barsha on Tuesday.
“Tottenham are a big club with big potential and what they’ve failed to do the last couple of years could still be achieved next season if they keep their best players, and Kane is one of them.
“For the sake of his own career, it might be a good call to stay maybe one more year and see what happens, but he knows more than me about the situation in the club and if it’s good to stay or go.”
Since Pochettino took over in 2014, the club have twice finished third in the Premier League either side of a second-place finish in 2016/17, finishing runners-up in the League Cup once, reaching the FA Cup semis twice, and the Champions League Last 16 once.
Within that time, Kane has consistently scored over 20 goals per season picking up back-to-back top scorers’ gongs in 2015/16 and 2016/17.
“Pochettino has played a big role in the improvement of the club over the last few years, so I think the primary objective is to keep him and for him to keep the club’s best players,” added Kanoute, who scored 15 goals in 60 appearances for Spurs between 2003 and 2005.
If Kane should leave however, Kanoute, who also played for Lyon, West Ham and Sevilla, backs the 24-year-old Englishman to succeed but warns it won’t be as straight forward.
“I think he has the quality to go for a big club and maybe go to the next step, the only thing is will he be able to adjust in one year or is he going to have a difficult year?
“This as well depends on many parameters, you don’t know under which coach he’ll play and the style he’s going to find there, and the cultural change as well if he’s going to change country. Not everybody has this ability to adjust quickly, if he is a good player he will adjust eventually, I’m just saying for next season I don’t know what decision will be best for him.”
Kanoute’s Kafo Academy ranges from ages five to 16-years-old, training four-times a week across Dubai, Sharjah and Ras Al Khaimah.
For more information visit www.kafoacademy.com
