Transfer expert Fabrizio Romano has claimed that Harry Kane is remaining respectful towards Tottenham despite expressing his desire to leave the club.
What did Fabrizio Romano say?
Reports broke earlier this week stating that Kane wants to move on from Spurs this summer. Romano confirmed that this latest update was true, but explained that the 27-year-old understands the club's position and has not yet handed in a transfer request, despite some media outlets using that terminology.
Speaking on The Here We Go Podcast, Romano said: "Harry Kane is waiting to find a solution and he wants to leave Tottenham. So, it is his desire, it is not an official transfer request, so there is nothing official announced to Tottenham or he wants to leave or nothing.
"So, the situation is, basically he wants to go, it’s his desire, but now he has to talk with Tottenham and to see what happens because Kane is respecting Tottenham’s position and he’s waiting to see the next steps from the club."
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Could Kane's stance change?
It seems likely that Kane will want to remain on good terms with Tottenham moving forwards, particularly given that he has a busy summer ahead. He will be leading England out at the Euros in just over three weeks' time, and as that draws nearer he will want to focus on delivering on the pitch for his country.
The prolific attacker has also been at Spurs for a long time, having come through the side's academy, so it would be a surprise if he were to turn around now and demand that the club accept an offer for him in the next transfer window.
Then again, Romano has said that Kane is waiting on Tottenham's "next steps". If in the coming weeks there is no progress with regards to Kane departing Spurs, he may have to start pushing more for a move away, which could lead to the relationship between the player and the club becoming more strained.
What kind of reception did Kane receive from Spurs' fans on Wednesday?
Fans returned to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium for the first time in 14 months on Wednesday when the north London club hosted Aston Villa.
Despite asking to leave Spurs only 48 hours earlier, Kane still received a very positive reception from the club's supporters. At the final whistle, he completed a lap of honour, with fans clapping and singing about their all-time leading Premier League goalscorer.
This gave a clear indication that Kane is still on good terms with the team's fans for now at least.
Did Tottenham's latest performance show exactly why Kane wants to leave?
It did.
The home side were woeful as they fell to a 2-1 defeat, meaning that they risk missing out on a European place heading into the final weekend of the season.
Having taken an early lead, Tottenham capitulated as they conceded two sloppy goals. The first arrived in comical fashion as Sergio Reguilon put the ball into his own net, and Villa's winner also saw the Spanish full-back at fault as he lost possession to Ollie Watkins who finished clinically.
Spurs huffed and puffed after the break, but there was a real lack of quality on show, and Villa ran out worthy winners after registering twice as many shots as their opponents. It was a display which suggested that Tottenham will not be challenging for major honours any time soon, and that is exactly why Kane wants to try his luck elsewhere.