Tottenham have stepped up their pursuit of new centre-backs for boss Ange Postecoglou amid the ongoing uncertainty over Harry Kane’s future.
Kane remains of strong interest to Bayern Munich, who are expected to launch a third bid for the forward after officials from the German club reportedly met with Spurs chairman Daniel Levy in London on Monday.
While speculation surrounding Kane continues to grow, Tottenham have accelerated their search for new defenders with talks advancing over the transfer of Wolfsburg’s Micky van de Ven, the PA news agency understands.
Postecoglou gave the green light to Van de Ven’s signing soon after arriving in June and dialogue between the teams started last month.
No final agreement over a fee – expected to be in the region of £30million – has been reached, but there is a growing confidence the Netherlands Under-21 international will make the move before Spurs’ Premier League opener at Brentford on August 13.
After Van de Ven made 36 appearances for Wolfsburg in the 2022-23 campaign, and attracted interest from Liverpool, he made clear his desire to play in England during an interview with De Telegraaf in his homeland.
“I have always dreamed of the Premier League because the biggest clubs play there and I also see that competition as the best in the world,” Van de Ven said in June.
Tottenham also remain in talks with Bayer Leverkusen over the signature of centre-back Edmond Tapsoba, who alongside Van de Ven has been high on the club’s list of potential targets this summer.
A move for both Bundesliga-based defenders has not been ruled out but Spurs are working on other transfers.
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Blackburn centre-back Ash Phillips is expected to complete his move to Tottenham this weekend.
Spurs entered discussions with the Sky Bet Championship club last month for the England youth international, but negotiations stalled over a final transfer fee. After Friday a £2million release clause for Phillips will become active, which will allow Tottenham to complete the signing of the 18-year-old.
Phillips’ arrival will not impact on Postecoglou’s desire to boost his senior options in defence, with the centre-back viewed as a player for the future.
Tottenham have also opened talks with Rosario Central over 19-year-old forward Alejo Veliz.
Veliz impressed at the Under-20 World Cup this summer, scoring three goals for Argentina. Discussions are at an early stage but Spurs are eager to make a number of signings during a busy final month of the summer transfer window.
What the papers say
Harry Kane will stay at Tottenham if no deal has been done before the club’s Premier League opener against Brentford. The Independent reports an £85 million bid for the England striker, 30, from Bayern Munich has been rejected as they seek £100 million. And according to the Evening Standard, Kane believes it would be unfair to leave after the start of the campaign.
France midfielder Tanguy Ndombele could be heading away from Tottenham. According to the Daily Mirror, Galatasaray are looking to agree an £11 million move for the 26-year-old.
Chelsea have added more names to their list of transfer targets with a pair of midfielders, according to The Times. US midfielder Tyler Adams, 24, from Leeds United and Ajax’s Mexican Edson Alvarez, 25, are the latest to interest the Blues.
Leeds are lining up a move for full-back Brandon Williams, 22, from Manchester United, reports The Independent.
Social media round-upPlayers to watch
Michael Olise: The Crystal Palace forward, 21, is seen as a potential replacement for Riyad Mahrez at Manchester City.
Michail Antonio: Everton could step in for the West Ham striker, 33, who has not secured a deal in Saudi Arabia.
Tottenham attacker Son Heung-min feels the ongoing speculation surrounding Harry Kane is “not easy” for his team-mate, but has praised the professionalism of Spurs’ stand-in captain.
Son and Kane have landed in Singapore for the final leg of their Asia-Pacific pre-season tour after an eventful few days in Bangkok.
Monsoon weather saw Tottenham’s friendly with Leicester cancelled on Sunday and a day earlier a journalist from German publication BILD had unveiled a Bayern Munich shirt with ‘Kane 9’ on the back to new Spurs head coach Ange Postecoglou in his pre-match press conference.
Postecoglou was far from impressed but the noise around Kane shows no sign of going away, with Bayern expected to return with a third bid later this month and reports overnight stating Manchester United could enter the race again for the signature of the forward.
Kane, who is performing captain duties during Tottenham’s tour after Hugo Lloris was left back in England to finalise a move away from the club, has been hailed by his long-standing strike partner.
“Harry has been fantastic for me,” Son told reporters, via football.london, in Bangkok. “He’s always professional, always working hard.
“He’s never showed any thoughts about himself. There’s so much news going around it’s also not easy for him, but he’s captain at the moment and he’s working with the team.
“He doesn’t show any distraction. He loves being here. I love him as a player. I fully respect him.
“He’s one of the best strikers in the world, has been for five, six, seven years in a row. The decision will be between the club and Harry and we have to respect it.
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“I can’t say anything about the final decision because I don’t know anything. Probably Harry doesn’t know. We just have to wait.”
Kane has entered the final 12 months of his contract at Tottenham and Bayern have increased their efforts to sign the forward this month, with their honorary president Uli Hoeness claiming last week that personal terms had been agreed between the German club and the England captain.
Bayern are reported to have lodged two unsuccessful bids for Kane so far this summer, but Spurs remain determined to keep hold of their all-time leading goal-scorer.
A new contract has been offered to Kane by Tottenham, which is a significant increase on his current £200,000-a-week terms, but he has not made any decision on the new deal while speculation over his future continues.
Spurs are set to play local team Lion City Sailors in Singapore on Wednesday before they head back to England.
What the papers say
The Telegraph says Tottenham owner Joe Lewis has told chairman Daniel Levy he must sell Harry Kane if they can not get the England captain to sign a new contract at the club. The Mirror said this means Manchester United could be back in the market for the striker, while the Daily Mail says Bayern Munich are preparing a third bid to try and lure Kane to Germany.
Former Liverpool midfielder Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, now a free agent, is receiving interest from Brentford, Besiktas and Saudi Pro League clubs, the Mirror reports.
Fulham are looking to sign Demarai Gray from Everton for £7million, while the Toffees value the winger at around £10m, the Sun reports.
The Daily Express say Liverpool midfielder Fabinho’s £40m move to Saudi Pro League team Al Ittihad could be halted if his two French bulldogs are not allowed to join him.
Social media round-upPlayers to watch
Callum Hudson-Odoi: The Chelsea winger is close to joining former boss Maurizio Sarri at Lazio, the Gazzetta dello Sport said. Although Fulham are still hoping to keep the 22-year-old in England, with the Metro reporting he has agreed on personal terms with the club.
Edson Alvarez: West Ham are confident that they will sign the Mexican midfielder from Ajax for around £40m, Football Insider said.
Ledley King is confident Harry Kane will not down tools amid Bayern Munich's efforts to sign him, with the former Tottenham defender hopeful Spurs will hold onto their star player.
Kane, whose 30 Premier League goals last season were not enough to help Spurs seal a European place, has been the subject of two bids from Bayern.
Both of those have been rejected by Spurs, though with Kane out of contract next year, there remains a possibility the England captain might finally end his long association with the club.
King, though, is hoping Kane will stay and play a key part in Ange Postecoglou's team.
He told Stats Perform: "It's always important to keep your best players, of course.
"Harry's an unbelievable player and what goes on from here is obviously up to him and the club. But him being here, being as professional as possible, working as hard as possible is what we're used to.
"That's Harry in a nutshell. I know he's enjoying the training, he's enjoying performing under Ange at the moment, and the rest we leave between him and the club to sort."
While Kane's future remains in doubt, one player to come through the door at Spurs this transfer window is James Maddison.
The playmaker scored 10 goals and provided nine assists in 30 league appearances for Leicester City last season, though could not save the Foxes from relegation, but King thinks the Maddison is the ideal fit for Tottenham's midfield.
He added: "I feel like he's the type of player that we need in the squad at the moment. He is a creative player. He's a player that can shoot from outside the box, technically, very good, and wants to receive the ball in tight areas.
"He's a really good fit. He had a very good season last season with Leicester and he's an England international. These are the type of players that we want to attract."
While King has been "very impressed" by Postecoglou's start at Spurs, he believes it is too early to put firm targets on next season.
"First and foremost, I think we want to see the players have an identity in terms of the way we play and I think Ange brings that," King said.
"He has a certain style and the way he sees the game, which I think will suit our players, suit our club and excite the fans.
"In the Premier League, you don't know what it's going to throw at you. You start the first game with the intention to try and win every game, and you take it from there.
"The top four, of course, would be fantastic. That's where we'd love to be. But we realise how difficult that is.
"Just to have a season where players perform at their highest level, we play good style, a brand of football, and something that we can work on will be good."
New Tottenham head coach Ange Postecoglou has admitted last week’s meeting with Harry Kane was “nothing earth-shattering” but still a good chat amid Bayern Munich’s growing efforts to lure the forward to Germany.
Kane has entered the final 12 months of his deal with Spurs and speculation over his future has heightened in recent weeks.
The England captain returned to training on Wednesday and held a meeting with Postecoglou, but the Australian has played down its significance.
Postecoglou told reporters at a press conference, via football.london, from the WACA Ground in Perth: “I had a good chat with Harry.
“Nothing earth-shattering as people are seeking. Just a good chat, introduced myself, spoke about the club and where we can improve.”
Bayern appeared to up the ante regarding Kane at the weekend with the club’s honorary president Uli Hoeness claiming an agreement over personal terms had been reached with the Spurs forward.
“Harry Kane has clearly signalled in all conversations that his decision stands – and if he keeps to his word then we’ll get him, because then Tottenham will have to buckle,” Hoeness told German TV channel Sport1.
“Kane wants to play internationally and luckily for us Tottenham will not be active internationally next year.
“He now has another opportunity to come to a top club in Europe.
“Up to now, the father and the brother have always stood by what they promised. If it stays that way, that’s OK.”
Kane was spotted interacting with Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy upon arriving in Australia this weekend for the club’s tour of Perth, Bangkok and Singapore.
While Bayern continue to push to secure the services of the England captain and have reportedly lodged two bids for the forward, Spurs’ stance remains the same, they have no intention of selling Kane.
Spurs’ record goalscorer has also been offered a new contract that is a significant increase on his current £200,000-a-week terms, the PA news agency understands.
Kane is yet to make a decision on the new deal but Tottenham and chairman Levy continue to stand firm on their desire to keep the striker.
Bayern honorary president Hoeness added: “Levy is clever, he doesn’t name a number. First we have to get him to name a number.
“Of course he plays for time. I think he’s a savvy, super professional, I appreciate him a lot – but I don’t think there are people on the other side who have been doing it since yesterday.”
England’s victory in the European Under-21 Championship captured the nation as prominent figures took to social media to offer their congratulations.
Curtis Jones’ first-half goal, coupled with goalkeeper James Trafford’s stoppage-time penalty save, ensured the Young Lions lifted the trophy for the first time in 39 years as they edged out Spain 1-0.
Here, the PA news agency looks at some of the tributes as the likes of Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and senior men’s captain Harry Kane joined in the celebrations.
FA chief executive Mark Bullingham was among the first to applaud the Young Lions, with other governing bodies quick to followPolitical figures were also caught up in the excitementEngland stars past and present were delighted with the winWith 18 Premier League players in Young Lions squad, the tributes from clubs poured inAnd former boxer Frank Bruno loved the sound of ‘European Champions’
Mauricio Pochettino would not be drawn on whether he would push for Chelsea to reunite him with England captain Harry Kane as he was formally unveiled as manager at Stamford Bridge.
The pair enjoyed success during their days together at Tottenham, reaching the Champions League final in 2019, and the Argentinian was pressed on whether he would look to Kane to try and revive his new side’s ailing attack.
Chelsea scored only 38 league goals last season, their worst return in almost a hundred years, as they finished a dismal 12th in the Premier League.
They have already added RB Leipzig forward Christopher Nkunku and Nicolas Jackson from Villarreal, and the manager said the club are still looking to do more business to improve their front line.
But he stopped short of saying he would ask the club to bid for Kane, who scored 30 times in the league last season and, with Spurs not qualifying for Europe, has been the subject of interest from Bayern Munich.
“You are talking about one of the greatest strikers in the world,” said Pochettino. “I think it’s too unfair to talk (about a player at another club). The most important thing is that fans are not stupid. They are so clever. They know my relationship with him was always amazing.
“I saw him when he was young and grow up and achieve all that he was achieving. We have a great relationship.
“At the moment, we are thinking (in the transfer market) in a different way. We are not thinking that. We’re working hard to try to provide the squad with good quality.
“We are working on that and still we have time to work. For sure we are going to add players that can score and we are going to find the best way to play.”
The club have begun a significant overhaul of their squad since the transfer window re-opened, with players leaving to slim down the squad and trim the wage bill.
Mason Mount and N’Golo Kante have led an exodus of nine first-team players to depart so far, but the club remain in the market for recruits as they look to address last season’s crisis of form in front of goal.
“Football is really dynamic,” said Pochettino. “What we have today maybe tomorrow disappears. We need to be ready if we need more or not or maybe we go through the pre-season and we realise we need to improve in different positions or add more players that can score.
“It’s really dynamic and we’re going to assess every single day the situation.”
The manager added that Chelsea’s owners will need to check in with him before paying visits to the Stamford Bridge dressing room as he was formally unveiled as the club’s new manager.
Co-controlling owner Todd Boehly frequently entered the dressing room under successive head coaches last season, telling the players after a defeat to Brighton in April that their season had been “embarrassing.”
Pochettino began work at Cobham on Monday just over a month after he was confirmed as permanent successor to Graham Potter, who Boehly sacked just seven months after appointing him.
The Argentinian is tasked with resurrecting the club after they suffered their worst season in 29 years last campaign, finishing 12th and failing to mount a credible challenge for silverware despite the owner’s Clearlake Capital consortium forking out over £600million on transfers.
Pochettino said he felt it was his responsibility to create the kind of culture where people clearly understand their place and function in the wider collective.
“We need to understand that they own the football club,” he said when asked whether the hierarchy would be welcome on his watch to address the players post-match.
“We need to respect that. The thing is to talk about how we need to behave because that is an important thing.
“The culture of football in England is a lot to understand. My responsibility also is to help and to add our knowledge and capacity to create this culture where everyone knows how to behave in different situations.
“For me, more than welcome if the owner comes to the dressing room, to the training ground. But always they need to communicate with myself, I need to know, and to prepare the people to receive.
“In here (the dressing room) it’s really special in England. Maybe in another country it’s different, but here it’s this way.
“The manager has some influence in all football clubs, for the fans, for the players, for the staff and the media. Altogether we need to create this. We are there to guide all the people that are involved in this football club, to try to create the best atmosphere and try to work and perform in the best way.
“I am more than happy if they are close to us. But they are the owners. The players, the fans, the media – the coach is who decides how things are going to work in the dressing room, on the pitch, on the training ground. Also with the sporting directors, we create the line to follow.”
Former captain John Terry tweeted on Friday that he has re-joined the club working with the academy.
The 42-year-old won five Premier League titles with Chelsea as well as the 2012 Champions League.
What the papers say
The race for England captain Harry Kane is hotting up, with Tottenham making the 29-year-old an offer which would improve his £200,000 a week salary, according to the Guardian. But the Daily Mail reports that Bayern Munich boss Thomas Tuchel has visited the striker at his home in his quest to sign him.
Arsenal are close to taking their summer spending to around £200million, with Dutch defender Jurrien Timber, 22, following Declan Rice in agreeing a deal, according to the Daily Telegraph. The Standard says the Gunners will pay Ajax £38.5m for Timber.
Leicester midfielder Harvey Barnes, 25, is attracting plenty of interest, with the Guardian suggesting Newcastle lead the way. Aston Villa and Tottenham are also in the race.
AC Milan are continuing their pursuit of Chelsea’s Christian Pulisic. The Daily Mail reports the Italian club have made an improved £18.9m offer for the American.
Social media round-upPlayers to watch
Levi Colwill: Liverpool are said to be keen on the 20-year-old defender, although Chelsea want to keep him.
Lewis O’Brien: Wayne Rooney wants to keep the midfielder, who is on loan at DC United from Nottingham Forest, with Sheffield United also interested, according to the Daily Mirror.
Yaya Toure has told Harry Kane to stay at Tottenham for the rest of his career.
The England captain’s future has come under constant scrutiny this summer and Kane has regularly been linked with a move to Manchester United or Bayern Munich.
Spurs are insistent they will not sell their star player, despite him entering the last year of his contract, and Toure thinks Kane should end his career at his boyhood club.
Toure has had the chance to witness Kane at close quarters during his spell on the academy’s coaching staff and recognises his star quality.
“Harry Kane is a brilliant player and a brilliant leader,” the 40-year-old, who has just taken a coaching job at Standard Liege, told the PA news agency.
“For me I hope he is going to stay at Tottenham. What he did last season was incredible.
“I hope he is going to stay, being involved with the staff I can see how familiar they are, they all believe in each other.
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“He came from the academy, he is different. He is not like (Sergio) Aguero, who came in from Atletico, he is at home.
“I hope he is going to stay because he is a good player. Why not retire there, like (Paolo) Maldini or Gerrard did at Liverpool, if he does that it is going to be very significant.”
Spurs’ inability to win a trophy over the last 15 years has been the main reason why Kane has been linked with a move away.
But Toure believes the club is set up for success and Kane is integral to that.
“Tottenham have everything to be successful, when you see the stadium and facilities, they are brilliant,” he added.
“What’s left now? Maybe change players, I don’t know.
“But the competitiveness of the league, you have to match that. “What Manchester City are doing, you have to match that if you want to win.
“That is what I learned when I was at top clubs, week in week out, try to improve the club to be successful.
“I hope and believe that if Harry Kane stays, new players will join, the club will be improving and better and they will be able to challenge for something.”
Before Toure heads to Belgium to begin at Standard Liege, he will first put his coaching skills to use on the launch of Amazon’s Prime Day, as a Prime customer can buy a private coaching session for them and three friends.
He said: “I couldn’t stay away from coaching in the UK for long, but this is a fun one.
“Amazon approached me because like them, I’m known for reliable delivery, so for Prime Day I’m going to be working with a group of football fans to give them a training session and show them a thing or two.
“With the new season coming up, I’ll look to put them through their paces with knowledge I’ve gained through my years at clubs such as Barcelona and Manchester City.
“It’ll be one last training session in England for a while.”
::Yaya Touré will give one lucky Prime customer and their three friends a football training session to learn perfect delivery this Prime Day. Prime Members should check out www.amazon.co.uk/primeexperiences throughout 11th and 12th July to purchase.
The summer transfer market remains busy with plenty of deals and speculation.
Here, the PA news agency rounds up some of the latest business and stories.
Top story
Arsenal’s pursuit of West Ham captain Declan Rice continues to command the most headlines. After having two bids rebuffed for the England midfielder, the Gunners’ third offer of £100million plus £5m in add-ons was reportedly accepted on Wednesday.
Manchester City had been interested but, after having a £90m bid rejected, decided not to match Arsenal’s proposition.
Done deals
Tottenham completed the signing of James Maddison from Leicester for an initial £40m on Wednesday. The 26-year-old England international has signed a five-year deal and becomes new manager Ange Postecoglou’s third new recruit.
Kai Havertz has crossed London to join Arsenal from Chelsea in a £65m deal and goalkeeper Edouard Mendy has also left Stamford Bridge to sign for Saudi Pro League side Al-Ahli.
Deals closing in
Arsenal are shaping up to be one of the biggest movers in the summer window as they also close on the signing of Ajax defender Jurrien Timber.
Chelsea are also reportedly in “advanced talks” over Santos winger Angelo Gabriel.
Other gossip
Chelsea’s interest in Brighton’s Moises Caicedo has now apparently been matched by Manchester United. This adds a layer of intrigue to United’s pursuit of Chelsea’s Mason Mount.
Caicedo has emerged as a potential United target after they were knocked back by the Blues over Mount, so it will be interesting to see if this changes the picture.
Meanwhile, Celta Vigo’s Gabri Veiga, who has a £34m buyout clause, is being looked at by Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester City.
Fulham and Nottingham Forest are potential destinations for another Chelsea player, Callum Hudson-Odoi. Liverpool are also being linked with RB Leipzig midfielder Dominik Szoboszlai and the German side’s centre-back Josko Gvardiol is another potential target for champions City.
Unlikely move
The future of Tottenham and England striker Harry Kane remains the subject of considerable speculation as Bayern Munich apparently prepare a second bid, but the prospect of this move happening still seems remote.
Bayern’s first offer of £60m was rejected out of hand and the feeling is the Germans would have to up it considerably just to get Spurs to the table. Even then, there has been no indication that Kane would be interested in such a switch.
No move
It was inevitable there would be some interest in Jamie Vardy following Leicester’s relegation but the 36-year-old apparently has no interest in joining Saudi Arabian side Khaleej FC.
What the papers say
Manchester United have reportedly made a last-ditch attempt to sign England captain Harry Kane. According to The Sun, the Red Devils have reached out to the Tottenham striker to encourage him to put in a transfer request as club bosses grow increasingly frustrated with Spurs’ unwillingness to negotiate over Kane’s position.
Staying at Old Trafford, The Telegraph reports the club have joined Arsenal in pursuit of West Ham midfielder Declan Rice. United are said to be interested in a player-plus-cash deal involving England defender Harry Maguire or Scotland midfielder Scott McTominay.
West Brom defender Dara O’Shea could be set for a return to the Premier League next season. The Irish Independent reports the 24-year-old Republic of Ireland international has all-but confirmed a move to Burnley, with a medical at Turf Moor on Thursday the last hurdle to clear.
And the Evening Standard claims Chelsea midfielder Hakim Ziyech is nearing a move to Saudi Arabian club Al-Nassr.
Social media round-upPlayers to watch
Sandro Tonali: The Athletic says Newcastle are circling a £60million deal for the AC Milan midfielder.
Bernardo Silva: The Manchester City midfielder is nearing a move to Saudi Arabia, according to Spanish outlet Marca.
What the papers say
Manchester United have ended their interest in signing Harry Kane from Tottenham, The Guardian reports. The Spurs’ asking price for the 29-year-old was unrealistic, the Red Devils felt, despite Erik ten Hag making the England striker his primary summer target.
Also in the Guardian is talk that Arsenal have emerged as strong contenders to sign Kai Havertz from Chelsea. The 24-year-old has also been identified as a target for Real Madrid. The forward’s contract expires in 2025 but he has told the club of his desire to leave this summer.
Newcastle United are pushing hard to complete a deal to sign Inter Milan’s midfielder Nicolo Barella in a deal thought to be worth around £50 million, the Daily Telegraph says. The 26-year-old and Leicester City’s James Maddison are the Magpies’ two main targets.
And the Mail writes that Manchester City will resist loan offers for midfielder James McAtee as Pep Guardiola wants him to be part of his treble-winning squad next season. The 20-year-old has been earmarked for the club’s senior side.
Social media round-upPlayers to watch
Dusan Vlahovic: Gazzetta dello Sport reports via Football Italia that Juventus want at least 80m euros (£68m) for the 23-year-old but Chelsea have told the Italians they can pick between five players in a swap deal for the Serbia striker.
Kalidou Koulibaly: Italian outlet Corriere dello Sport says the 31-year-old Chelsea defender is also wanted by Inter Milan.
What the papers say
Manchester United defender Harry Maguire, 30, has emerged as a target for Tottenham, according to The Daily Telegraph. The London club are hoping the signing could help persuade his England colleague Harry Kane to stay at the club as big-name clubs line up for his signature.
Maguire is one of eight players United are looking to move on this summer, reports the Daily Mirror. Striker Anthony Martial, 27, Scott McTominay, 26, fellow midfielder Fred, 30, and goalkeeper Dean Henderson, 26, are also on the list, along with defenders Eric Bailly, 29, Alex Telles, 30, and Brandon Williams, 22.
Brighton want more than £70 million for Manchester United target Moises Caicedo, says The Daily Telegraph. Chelsea and Arsenal are also chasing the 21-year-old Ecuador midfielder.
Chelsea midfielder N’Golo Kante, 32, is wanted by two clubs in Saudi Arabia, according to The Guardian. Al-Ittihad and Al-Nassr are keen on the France star with annual salary offers which could reach £86.2 million.
Social media round-upPlayers to watch
Levi Colwill: The Daily Mail reports Brighton are considering an increased bid of around £40 million for the Chelsea defender, who spent last season on loan at The Seagulls.
Gabri Veiga: Chelsea have joined Liverpool and Barcelona in tracking the Celta Vigo midfielder, 21, who has a £34.4 million release clause, says The Guardian.
Real Madrid are in the market for a new centre-forward after announcing Karim Benzema’s departure.
The France international scored 354 goals in 648 appearances to become Real’s second all-time top scorer, behind Cristiano Ronaldo, during a 14-year stay in the Spanish capital.
Here, the PA news agency runs the rule over the main contenders to succeed Benzema at the Bernabeu.
Harry Kane
England captain Kane would appear to be a natural fit for Real given his unceasing ability to score goals for Tottenham.
Kane, who has one year left on his Spurs contract, turns 30 next month, but that is unlikely to put Real off a striker who is the Premier League’s second highest goalscorer and will be strongly coveted by Manchester United and others this summer.
Real have tempted Gareth Bale and Luka Modric away from Tottenham in the past and might be hopeful of striking a deal, with Spurs chairman Daniel Levy unwilling to sell Kane to a Premier League rival in the past.
Kylian Mbappe
The World Cup winner was seemingly on his way to Madrid last summer before choosing to stay at Paris St Germain and chase Champions League glory there.
Like Kane, Mbappe comes with a goals guarantee as he has scored more than 200 for PSG, but the Frenchman has more time on his side than the England forward as he does not celebrate his 25th birthday until December.
Mbappe is a thrilling spectacle in full flight and releasing him from his eye-watering PSG contract, which runs until June 2025, might take a world record transfer fee.
Victor Osimhen
Napoli’s first Serie A title for 33 years was fuelled by the goals of Osimhen.
The 24-year-old Nigeria star scored 26 goals in 32 games, with the 6ft 1in striker’s game based around pace, power and athleticism.
Osimhen has two years remaining on his current Napoli deal and has also attracted interest from Manchester United, with Red Devils boss Erik ten Hag known to be a big admirer.
Kai Havertz
On the face of it, Germany international Havertz would appear to be a strange replacement for goal machine Benzema.
It would not be a like-for-like signing as the 23-year-old Havertz, in a false nine role, struggled to provide the goals Chelsea needed last season.
But his tactical intelligence could enable him to dovetail well with Rodrygo and Vinicius Junior and Real could get a reduction on the £76million Chelsea paid Bayer Leverkusen for Havertz in 2020.
Jonathan David
Canada striker David has a growing reputation for club and country and seems ready to step on to a bigger stage after spells in Belgium and France.
The 23-year-old has scored over 50 Ligue 1 goals for Lille since joining from Gent in 2020, 24 of them coming this season.
David is known for his pace and versatility, as well his pressing ability out of possession, and can also operate as a second striker.
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