Kane Bale signings GFXGetty/GOAL

Have Tottenham learned their lesson? 'Gareth Bale-money' transfer flops must be avoided as Spurs plot Harry Kane-funded spending spree

Harry Kane is no longer a Tottenham player. Very few supporters would have envisaged that being the case at the start of the summer transfer window, despite the number of clubs that were reportedly lining up to sign him.

The England forward had shown unwavering loyalty to Spurs for close to a decade, having initially broke into their senior squad in 2014. He had plenty of chances to leave, most notably when Manchester City came calling in 2021, but he stayed put and continued to give his all.

However, in the aftermath of a catastrophic 2022-23 campaign that saw Tottenham slip to eighth in the Premier League and extend their trophy drought to 15 years, Kane found himself at a career crossroads. A player of his calibre deserves to be at a club capable of fighting for major honours across all fronts, and Spurs have never provided that platform.

Bayern Munich eventually convinced Kane to complete a £100 million ($127m) transfer to the Allianz Arena, with Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy reluctantly allowing his prized asset to depart after months of intense negotiations. Kane will be almost 34 by the time his contract with the German champions expires, and should finish his time at the club with a full silverware cabinet - which could very well include the Champions League.

Kane has made the right decision for his legacy in the game, but how will Spurs cope without their all-time record goalscorer? Much will depend on how well they spend the money generated by his transfer to Bayern.

Tottenham have only ever been involved in one other deal carrying such a lofty transfer fee - when Gareth Bale joined Real Madrid for a then-world record £85m ($108m) in the summer of 2013. On that occasion, rather than trying to replace him with just one player, the north London outfit made seven new signings.

Fast-forward 10 years and not one of them remains on Spurs' books - and GOAL looks at how they fared below...

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