Is Harry Kane destined to be stuck at Spurs? England ace running out of transfer options already as Man Utd and Real Madrid look elsewhere

While Kane was scoring two goals and creating another in England's rout of North Macedonia on Monday night, many United fans couldn't help but admit online that they would be overjoyed to see him strutting his stuff at Old Trafford on a weekly basis next season. There no longer appears any chance of that happening, though - and for pretty much the same reason that Kane failed to force through a move to Manchester in 2021.

Levy is still calling the shots at Spurs, which, let's be honest, is also a major source of frustration for the club's fans, who have seen their team go backwards since reaching the Champions League final four years ago through a combination of the chairman's parsimony and poor decision-making. The net result is that while the goals have continued to flow for Kane, his trophy drought shows no sign of ending anytime soon.

United, of course, have their own boardroom issues, but have, at least, shown real signs of promise and progress under new manager Erik ten Hag, who reportedly viewed Kane as the perfect striker to lead his attack in 2023-22. However, United have reportedly already given up on signing the England star because they do not believe themselves capable of meeting Levy's asking price.

Things could potentially change if a new owner arrives at Old Trafford this summer, but it's now understood that the Glazer family's sale of the club might not be concluded until next season - if at all. So, while it is believed that Kane favours a move to United above all other clubs, the deal looks dead in the water, with the club now looking at younger, more affordable alternatives.

The 'Kane-to-Madrid' story has been a real rollercoaster ride over the past few weeks. First, Karim Benzema suddenly put Florentino Perez on the look-out for a new No.9 after sensationally deciding to move to Saudi Arabia this summer - a decision so shocking that it reportedly raised both of Carlo Ancelotti's eyebrows. Talk of Kane transferring to the Bernabeu began in earnest.

But then Kylian Mbappe dropped a bombshell of his own by publicly confirming that he has no intention of extending his stay at the PSG beyond 2024. Basically, they need to sell him this summer to avoid losing him for nothing next year.

If Madrid are looking for the closest thing possible to a like-for-like replacement for Benzema, they should quite clearly pick Kane. They are both complete No.9s and share similar attributes. Kane would rather remain in his native England, but the presence of international colleague Jude Bellingham in the Spanish capital certainly would have made it easier for him to settle.

However, the whole world knows that if it comes down to a choice between Kane and Mbappe, there is only one winner. Madrid want Mbappe, and Mbappe wants Madrid - it's been that way for years. A transfer was always going to happen and it really is only a matter of when at this point. If it's this summer, there is zero chance of Kane joining too.

But what about Kane moving to Paris to replace Mbappe - or even play alongside the 24-year-old? After all, we know that Mbappe's preference has always been to play off a quality striker. Certainly, with Lionel Messi having been dumped in rather unceremonious circumstances, and speculation still swirling around Neymar, there will be room for at least one more superstar in PSG's attack for next season.

It's worth noting that this rumour is gaining serious momentum of late, with Le Parisien reporting on Monday that Nasser Al-Khelaifi has made Kane his primary transfer target. Their interest certainly makes sense, too. The Qatari-backed club are capable of paying a fee that is likely to be in excess of £100 million ($128m), and Levy would be open to selling Kane to an overseas club.

However, Kane would have his doubts about joining PSG - and they wouldn't just be related to living in another country or trying to learn a new language. There is just so much uncertainty surrounding PSG right now, even beyond Mbappe and his incessant contractual drama. Christophe Galtier is still technically the head coach yet he is believed to be a dead man walking. What's worrying, though, is that no replacement has yet been lined up, with Luis Enrique the latest name being tipped to take over at Parc des Princes after the club failed to reach an agreement with Julian Nagelsmann.

Given Kane knows all about the pain of playing for a crisis club, it's unlikely that he'd want to join another.

With that in mind, what chance do Chelsea have of persuading Kane to join a free-spending club that makes PSG look relatively prudent by comparison?!

One can certainly understand the Blues' interest. The idea of reuniting new manager Mauricio Pochettino with Kane is certainly appealing. The pair enjoyed an excellent working relationship and still speak very fondly of one another. Todd Boehly & Co. have also shown a willingness to spend mad money on players, meaning they could try to make Levy an offer even he couldn't refuse.

But it just seems too far-fetched. As Ian Wright recently told Premier League Productions, "It's the only thing Spurs fans wouldn't be able to deal with - Kane going to Chelsea." Levy would essentially be writing a resignation letter if he agreed to let Tottenham's beloved son join their second-most hated rivals.

It wouldn't even make sense from Kane's perspective, either. Granted, he would get to remain in London and continue his pursuit of the Premier League's all-time goals record. However, Chelsea aren't even in the Champions League next season, and for all the talent they've stockpiled last summer, it's still impossible to say whether they'll become serious title challengers in 2023-24 just because they'll now have Pochettino at the helm.

Bayern Munich are desperate to sign a striker this summer, with the loss of Robert Lewandowski to Barcelona having hit them hard last season. The Bavarians were so bad, in fact, that they very nearly didn't win the Bundesliga - an almost unfathomable failure.

Hardly surprising, then, that they've been linked with Kane - the kind of unselfish and intelligent attacker that one could easily envisage complementing the pace and dribbling skills of Jamal Musiala, Kingsley Coman and Leroy Sane.

It's also no exaggeration to say that having a lethal finisher like Kane up front could once again transform Bayern into serious Champions League contenders - and that's where Kane obviously wants to be, spearheading a team capable of winning major honours.

However, the word is that he just does not fancy a move abroad and there's no way Bayern will break the bank to sign him. It's just not their style. As Lothar Matthaus recently told Sky Germany, "Harry Kane would be too old and too expensive."

Right now, this actually seems like the most likely outcome because of Kane and Levy's current stances. Kane wants to remain in England - but Levy won't let him join another Premier League club. So, as it stands, unless Kane is willing to try his luck overseas, he'll probably end up stuck at Spurs for one more season.

Of course, that in itself would represent a huge risk on Levy's part, given Kane's contract expires next summer. He'd essentially be gambling on new manager Ange Postecoglou making such a positive impression on Kane that he'd be willing to sign a new deal. Otherwise, he risks losing his most valuable asset for nothing next year.

Kane obviously wouldn't be short on suitors in such a scenario, but can he really afford to spend another season with a Spurs side that is likely to struggle to mount anything resembling a title challenge? He turns 30 next month, after all. His time at the very top of the game is running out.

If he insists on staying in England, there's every chance he'll become the Premier League's all-time leading goalscorer. But unless he manages to escape Spurs, he looks destined to end his career with more broken records - and not a single major trophy.