Sports
Harry Kane reveals he’s not held contract talks with Tottenham and none are planned over £200,000-a-week deal
HARRY KANE has revealed he has NOT held contract talks with Tottenham – and nor is he planning any.
The back page of The Sun reports today that Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino has warned the club they must look after their star striker and not take him for granted.
It was thought Kane was on the verge of signing a new deal worth £200,000 a week.
But asked last night if he had been in talks with the club he insisted: “No.”
And if there were any planned he said: “Not that I know of.”
Pochettino’s warning over Kane came as Philippe Coutinho prepared to seal his £143million move from Liverpool to Barcelona.
The Tottenham chief says clubs are now powerless to keep players.
Kane said: “It’s a matter of opinion, but I think if a player wants to go then why would you stop him? He’s not going to be in the club, he’s not going to play every game, he’s not going to put his heart on the line so…
“From the Coutinho point of view I think he’s been very professional in the six months he has played this year and, look, Liverpool have got a good offer from Barca and accepted it so I wouldn’t say they’re powerless but I can see why if a player wants to go you would let him go.”
Kane insisted he is happy at Tottenham, adding: “I’ve always said as long as we keep progressing, keep getting better and start winning trophies, that’s the aim.
“As long as the club keep doing that then, yeah I’m happy here.”
Kane helped Tottenham book their place in the FA Cup fourth round by netting twice in their 3-0 win over AFC Wimbledon on Sunday.
He said: “Job done but it was tough, especially first half they defended very well.
“We had a few chances and we obviously could have done better. But they had one that came off the bar as well so it could have been a different game but the main thing is that we’re through to the next round so a good win in the end.
“I think this year especially with the league kind of being out of contention — of course we want to finish in the top four – there’s a chance for us to win a competition so we’ll see.
“Obviously once the Champions League starts and that there’s going to be a lot of games but I think we’ve got a good enough squad to rotate like we did against Wimbledon.
“We want to win a trophy somehow and with Manchester City running away with the Premier League the FA Cup is a competition we’re looking at to do that.
“You want that winning feeling of a trophy. We’ve been close in the league the last couple of years but the aim of the game is to win trophies and that’s what we’ve got to try and do.
“We’re still in the Champions League and the FA Cup and we know Champions League will be tough so FA Cup is one we have a good chance in.
“We’ll be one of the favourites, so we’ve just got to see who we get in the next round and go from there.
“It’s always been a fantastic competition and obviously there’s been a lot of talk over the years about people resting players but that’s just the nature of the game now.
“There are so many games and squads are so good, you can rest players, so for us whatever the gaffer chooses we’ll be ready to play.”
The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has confirmed the appointment of German tactician Bruno Labbadia as the new Head Coach of Nigeria’s Senior Men’s National Team, the Super Eagles.
This development was announced by the NFF General Secretary, Dr. Mohammed Sanusi, in the early hours of Tuesday, following the approval of the NFF Executive Committee based on a recommendation from its Technical and Development Sub-Committee. Labbadia’s appointment takes immediate effect.
Born on 8th February 1966 in Darmstadt, Germany, Labbadia enjoyed a distinguished playing career, earning two caps for the German national team. His club career included stints at prominent clubs such as Darmstadt 98, Hamburger SV, FC Kaiserslautern, Bayern Munich, FC Cologne, Werder Bremen, Arminia Bielefeld, and Karlsruher SC. Notably, he won the Bundesliga title with Bayern Munich in 1994.
Labbadia’s coaching career has seen him manage top-tier clubs such as Hertha Berlin, VfB Stuttgart, VfL Wolfsburg, Hamburger SV, and Bayer Leverkusen, among others. He holds a UEFA Pro License and is well-regarded for his tactical acumen.
With his appointment, Labbadia becomes the sixth German to lead the Super Eagles, following in the footsteps of Karl-Heinz Marotzke, Gottlieb Göller, Manfred Höner, Berti Vogts, and Gernot Rohr. Höner notably guided the Super Eagles to a runner-up finish at the 1988 Africa Cup of Nations, while Rohr qualified Nigeria for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia.
Labbadia’s immediate task is to prepare the Super Eagles for their upcoming 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifying matches.
Nigeria will face Benin Republic on Saturday, 7th September in Uyo, and Rwanda on Tuesday, 10th September in Kigali. The team will also play four additional qualifying matches in October and November as they aim to secure a spot in the 2025 AFCON, scheduled to be held from December 21, 2025, to January 18, 2026.
The Super Eagles, placed in Group D, will face familiar foes Benin Republic, who recently defeated Nigeria in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers. The draw for the AFCON qualifiers, held in Johannesburg, South Africa, last month, also sees Nigeria taking on Libya and Rwanda, both of whom are also part of the Super Eagles’ group for the 2026 World Cup qualifiers set to be hosted in the USA, Canada, and Mexico.
Labbadia’s appointment comes at a crucial time as the Super Eagles look to regain their dominance on the African continent and secure qualification for both the AFCON and the World Cup.
Finidi George has stepped into a new role as the technical manager for NPFL side, Rivers United, following his resignation as coach of the Super Eagles.
During his brief tenure with the Eagles, George’s 1-1 draw against South Africa in Uyo and a 2-1 loss to Benin Republic in Abidjan cast doubts on Nigeria’s World Cup qualification, prompting calls from fans for his dismissal.
South Africa vs Nigeria: Why we failed to defeat Super Eagles – Percy Tau
Nevertheless, Rivers United, the 2021-22 champions, expressed optimism in a statement on Wednesday via their official handle about having the former Eagles international manage their team.
“Finidi brings a wealth of experience and expertise to our team, having had a distinguished playing career spanning over fifteen years,” the statement read.
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Dr. Okey Kpalukwu, General Manager of Rivers United FC, welcomed George, stating, “We are delighted to have Finidi George join our team. His appointment marks a new chapter in our club’s history, and we are committed to working together to achieve success.”
Expressing his gratitude to the club, an elated George remarked, “I am honored to have this opportunity, and I thank the Sports Commissioner, the General Manager, and the supporters for their confidence in me. I am committed to working hard and making the team win.”
Inter Milan were taken over by US fund Oaktree on Wednesday after the Serie A champions’ outgoing owners Suning missed a deadline to repay a debt worth hundred of millions of euros.
In a statement, Oaktree announced they had “assumed control” of Inter after the non-repayment of a “three-year loan to Inter Milan’s holding companies that matured on 21 May 2024 with a total balance due of approximately 395 million euros ($428 million)”.
Chinese conglomerate Suning have relinquished control of Inter to Oaktree three days after the team were officially crowned Italian champions for the 20th time.
Suning borrowed 275 million euros at over 12 percent interest three years ago to pay staff and players as the Covid-19 pandemic ravaged the finances of clubs across Europe, putting up their controlling stake in the club as collateral.
“Oaktree is dedicated to achieving the best outcome for the long-term prosperity of Inter Milan, with an initial focus on operational and financial stability for the Club and its stakeholders,” Oaktree continued.
Inter became a powerful force at home and abroad after Suning acquired the club in 2016, with seven trophies including two Serie A titles and two European finals.
Simone Inzaghi’s team cruised to this year’s championship, winning the Scudetto with five matches remaining by beating AC Milan in a thrilling local derby.
Oaktree, which manages $192 billion in assets, said they are “committed to working closely with Inter Milan’s current management team, partners, the league and governing bodies to ensure the Club is positioned for success on and off the pitch”.
Inter ended up in the hands of Oaktree in a manner similar to the way another US fund, Elliott Management, took control of their local rivals Milan in 2018.
Elliott became Milan’s owners when Chinese businessman Li Yonghong was unable to repay a loan he had taken out when he bought the club from the late Silvio Berlusconi’s Fininvest the previous year.
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