Tottenham ridiculed as Sky Sports man predicts ludicrously low Premier League finish after Harry Kane exit

A pundit has tipped Tottenham Hotspur to have a very troublesome campaign following the departure of Harry Kane, even predicting them to fall out of the top 10 and become a ‘bottom half team’.

Tottenham were hoping to keep hold of Kane this summer, despite him entering the final year of his contract. The North London outfit rejected bids from Bayern worth £60million and £70m for their talisman.

However, Tottenham simply had to accept when Bayern came back with a massive proposal worth an initial €100m (£86.3m), plus an extra €20m (£17.2m) in potential bonuses.

Spurs have since announced the striker’s departure, though they were beaten to it by Bayern ace Thomas Muller. Kane has penned a four-year contract with the German giants and will wear the number nine shirt at the Allianz Arena.

When joining Bayern, Kane said: “I’m very happy to be a part of FC Bayern now. Bayern is one of the biggest clubs in the world, and I’ve always said that I want to compete and prove myself at the highest level during my career. This club is defined by its winning mentality – it feels very good to be here.”

New Spurs manager Ange Postecoglou will now have to work without one of the best strikers in the world. He is likely to select Richarlison as Kane’s replacement up front, though Spurs may also dip into the transfer market to improve their attack as well.

However, Sky Sports pundit Paul Merson thinks Kane’s exit will have a catastrophic affect on Spurs, even going as far as predicting them to no longer be a top 10 side.

“Kane scored 30 goals last season and Spurs finished nowhere near,” Merson said on Sky Sports NewsSky Sports’ live transfer centre, 12/08 at 9:24).

Tottenham ‘won’t even get in the top half’, says pundit

“You feel sorry for Ange Postecoglou but you’re talking about a team who might get in the top four if he stays, to a team who doesn’t get in the top half if he leaves. They won’t even get in the top half! They’re 100 per cent a bottom half team if he leaves.”

Kane leaving will clearly have a massive impact on Spurs. It is unlikely Son Heung-min will be as efficient, as he had a brilliant partnership with Kane. Richarlison will score more than the three goals he managed last term, but he will not be anywhere near Kane’s usual tally of at least 25 strikes.

Despite those factors, Spurs should still have more than enough quality to finish in the top 10. And Postecoglou will actually be aiming to get them back in the top six or top four.

The capture of James Maddison is a clever one, and his creativity will help to give Son and Richarlison plenty of chances. Spurs can also rely on new signing Micky van de Ven in defence. The Dutchman should form a strong centre-back alliance with Cristian Romero.

It is possible that Merson’s strong allegiances with Arsenal clouded his judgement when he made this prediction about Spurs.