Sport
Could Harry Kane join Man City in a swap deal next summer?
Swap deals are rare in the Premier League. The 2018 move that saw Alexis Sanchez leave Arsenal for Manchester United and Henrikh Mkhitaryan go the other way was very unusual and it also acts as a cautionary tale, with no parties happy with the end result of that transfer. But with Tottenham and Manchester City at an impasse in a potential blockbuster transfer for the England captain Harry Kane this summer, could including players could help to sweeten a potential swap deal next year?
Naturally, there are major challenges involved in making a transfer like this work. Players never want to feel as though they are makeweights and Spurs might struggle to match the high wage demands of the men City may put forward. Nuno Espirito Santo is also likely to have his own ideas about how to replace Kane or spend the windfall that Spurs will get for their prized asset.
But with City and Spurs still some distance away from agreement and Kane having stated that he will stay for this season, could a swap deal be possible after this season?
Jesus a ready-made Kane successor
Replacing Kane will be almost impossible for Spurs. He has been their most important player for years and, in the eyes of many fans, is a homegrown hero who should not be allowed to leave.
Even if City were to pay the £150 million asking price for Kane, Spurs would struggle to find someone who they can rely on to guarantee goals. Lautaro Martinez has been linked but with Inter having already lost Romelu Lukaku to Chelsea they will surely want to hold on to the Argentina international. Other clubs will know Spurs are cash-rich, upping the price tag on their targets as a result. Spurs are aware of this from when they sold Gareth Bale to Real Madrid and largely squandered the proceeds.
This is why taking Jesus from City as part of a Kane swap deal seems to make a lot of sense. Jesus was already pushed to the fringes at the Etihad Stadium, though he impressed in the opening weekend demolition of Norwich City. He appears to lack the trust of Pep Guardiola with City ready to let the Brazilian move on. Buying Kane would clearly result in even fewer opportunities for Jesus.
Jesus lacks Kane’s playmaking abilities but he has shown he can be a reliable scorer. In his most prolific season at City in 2019-20 he scored 14 league goals from 34 appearances, but only 21 of those were starts. Leading the line for Spurs, Jesus would be a fair bet to score at least 15 Premier League goals and his pressing from the front would suit Nuno’s tactics too.
Mahrez a makeweight?
Reports suggest Bernardo Silva has already told City he does not want to be part of the Kane deal but perhaps Riyad Mahrez would be more amenable to making the move. A lack of Champions League football would be an issue but following their strong start, perhaps that won’t be the case next season.
Mahrez has two years left on his City contract, so his value to the club is now decreasing. With £100 million lavished on England star Jack Grealish, City have more competition for attacking places than ever and Kane’s arrival would give Pep Guardiola even more options to play with.
At 30, Mahrez is still in his prime but the Algeria winger will likely only have one big payday remaining in his career. Staying at City would probably be his preferred option but he has only started around half of the Premier League games in his three seasons at the club so far.
Opportunities are likely to become more limited as he ages. Ferran Torres expected to get the nod more often in Mahrez’s spot on City’s right flank and Phil Foden is also able to play there.
Mahrez relished being a star at Leicester City, their main man along with Jamie Vardy, and joining Spurs would let him take on that mantle again. A front three of Jesus, Mahrez and Son Heung-min could make Nuno’s side contenders and ensure the loss of Kane is not too painful.
Kane might be staying at Tottenham for the upcoming season but it seems doubtful that his determination to leave will go and Man City may find a swap deal is the best way to finally land their man last summer.
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