How does Tottenham Hotspur cope without Harry Kane?

The day Tottenham Hotspur fans have dreaded for a number of years has finally arrived. Harry Kane has left Spurs. There was plenty of speculation this summer and the move was on and off more times than we care to count, but it has finally gone ahead, and the 30-year-old has made the switch to Bayern Munich after all.

It is not the news Spurs supporters would have hoped to wake up to on the first day of the new Premier League campaign, especially with reports from reliable sources just 24 hours earlier claiming that he was swaying towards staying at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium for at least another year.

At least the plaster has finally been ripped off. As already mentioned, it’s a divorce that has been on the cards for years, but both Kane and the North London club’s fans will have fond memories of their lengthy marriage as he jets off for a new life in Germany with the Bundesliga giants.

Of course, the main appeal of a move to Bayern Munich for Kane is winning his first piece of major silverware. A Bundesliga winners medal is likely to be draped around his neck come the end of the season, while Thomas Tuchel’s side also have an outside chance of winning the Champions League now England’s leading goalscorer has filled the void of Robert Lewandowski.

It leaves Spurs in a very tricky situation, however. They were already less than fancied for a place in the lucrative European football spots in the odds on the Premier League, and Kane’s departure makes matters worse. The timing is also far from ideal considering the deal could have been done a long time ago and Ange Postecoglou could have had time to bring in a new striker to fill the gaping hole left behind.

The obvious replacement, for now, is Richarlison. However, there are serious questions to be asked about the Brazilian’s ability to lead the line this season should Postecoglou not be able to bring in a suitable striker before the window slams shut at 11 p.m. on September 1.

The 26-year-old cost Spurs a club-record fee of £60 million last summer, but he has thus far failed to impress in a Tottenham shirt — scoring just one goal in 27 Premier League appearances as he struggled to build a rapport with his former boss Antonio Conte and was, therefore, rarely gifted a start by the Italian. 

Of course, there is a chance that Postecoglou and his attacking brand of football can get a tune out of Richarlison. But even when he is at his best, he isn’t a frequent enough goal-getter and certainly can’t emulate figures like Kane, as the Brazilian’s best goal tally is when he scored 13 in back-to-back seasons at Everton in 2018-19 and 2019-20, respectively.

If there’s any saving grace for Tottenham fans, it’s the fact they still have Son Heung-min. However, they are now desperate for the South Korean to rediscover his best form after he too had a slow season by his high standards last year. The pressure mounted on his shoulders by Kane’s departure certainly won’t help his task of getting back to firing on all cylinders. 

There have been some big stories this summer, like Declan Rice’s move to Arsenal and Moises Caicedo’s record switch to Chelsea. But there is no bigger piece of Premier League news than this, and the harsh reality is that Spurs are going to really struggle without their talisman this season.