Tottenham Hotspur manager Antonio Conte has hit out at Bayern Munich boss Julian Nagelsmann after his comments on Harry Kane.
Speaking to the media (h/t Daily Mail), Tottenham Hotspur boss Antonio Conte has lashed out at his Bayern Munich counterpart Julian Nagelsmann after the latter hinted that the German champions could make a move for Harry Kane next summer.
Kane is widely regarded as one of the best strikers in the game currently. The Tottenham Hotspur superstar came close to leaving the club last summer amid strong interest from Manchester City but eventually stayed put. After a disappointing start to the campaign, the England captain picked up form once Antonio Conte took over the reins and has been excellent since.
Kane played a key role in Tottenham securing a top-four finish in the Premier League, helping them return to the UEFA Champions League. His quality and goalscoring capabilities saw Bayern Munich cast admiring glances toward the striker. Having lost Robert Lewandowski to Barcelona, the Bundesliga champions are in the market for a new centre-forward.
While they have ruled out a transfer for Kane this summer, Bayern are plotting a swoop for the England captain in 2023. Chairman Oliver Kahn was coy on the rumours when recently quizzed about the possibility. And Nagelsmann also openly spoke about his admiration for Kane, hinting that Bayern could launch an attempt to sign him next year.
Conte on Nagelsmann’s comment about Harry Kane: “I’d never speak about players of other teams. I don't know why Nagelsmann did that – I think it’s maybe bit disrespectful” ?⚪️ #THFC
“The situation is very clear for Harry here at Tottenham: Kane’s important part of our project”. pic.twitter.com/RHc8aEU1dY
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) July 23, 2022
“He [Kane] is very expensive. That’s the problem – but brilliant player. One of two or three who can play as a centre-forward [as well as a] No 10, but he’s very strong, brilliant with [his] head and both feet. He could score a lot in the Bundesliga. I don’t know the price, but it’s really tough for Bayern Munich. We’ll see what happens in the future,” Nagelsmann had said.
In response, Conte has lashed out at Nagelsmann, saying: “For sure, I am a coach that does not speak about other players at other teams. I don’t know why. The situation with Tottenham is very clear. The plan is very clear with the club. He [Kane] is a part of the project, an important part of the project.
“At the same time, I don’t like to speak about the players of other clubs. If I want to do something, I’ll go and speak with the club and not go through the media. Maybe it is a little disrespectful for the other club. This is my way of dealing with the situation with other players.”
Despite Bayern’s interest in signing Kane next year, it is extremely unlikely that they will be able to get their hands on the Englishman, as Tottenham have no desire in selling him and the striker himself is keen on continuing as part of Conte’s project.
