Kane reportedly wanted to leave Tottenham Hotspur during the summer transfer window but ended up staying at the London club.
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Chelsea head coach Thomas Tuchel has revealed that he thought Tottenham Hotspur striker Harry Kane would join Manchester City in the summer transfer window. Kane reportedly wanted to leave Spurs during the transfer window, but eventually stayed at the London club. Chelsea were also in the market for a striker and they ended up re-signing Romelu Lukaku. When asked about City’s pursuit of Kane, Tuchel was quoted as saying by skysports, “I thought that this would happen. We never had a list with his name on it and I never went to (Chelsea director) Marina (Granovskaia) to tell her to buy him.”
“But the club sorted out the situation. There are many people around players, their agents and advisors and people in between and we had some information from these people. But it was never that close that we had to experience the rivalry (between Tottenham and Chelsea). We know about the rivalry but I had a feeling that it was never that far.”
Despite the prospect of prolific goal scorer Kane switching Spurs for City, Tuchel insisted he would not have feared Pep Guardiola’s side. “No, I was not scared, but if it would have happened, I would have been very interested in how maybe it would have changed Manchester City’s style of playing,” said the German.
“We are not afraid of anyone. We accept any team and Manchester City, Man United and Liverpool, they are the teams strong like no other in this league and they have strong squads. These are the guys with whom we want to compete and it’s normal that they fight for the best players and I thought this is maybe going to happen.
“On one side I was happy that he stayed because it is also nice that it exists in football that players play for one club only. Harry Kane is Tottenham and even for me – I have absolutely nothing to do with Tottenham, I have never worked for them – when I think about Tottenham in the last decade you think about Harry Kane and this is very nice.
“Like you think about (Lionel) Messi and straight away you think about Barcelona and it is very hard to think that he plays for another club now, and that’s the same for Harry Kane. So, from this side, I was happy because I like it and a part of my personality is still a fan and I like that things like this happen. It is also nice that Romelu Lukaku is back at Chelsea and some things are a good fit and should not be changed.”
The Chelsea manager has also tipped Saul Niguez to handle the pressure of the Premier League. “It takes maybe now a bit of time to get it off his shoulders, but the good thing is he is of an age where he does not worry too much,” said Tuchel.
“He is self-confident and the good thing is everybody in the dressing room and in the club knows him very well and played many times against him. So there are no doubts. It just needs a bit of time and the best thing to react is what he did. He trains good and he trains with intensity and this will prepare him for the next time he is on the pitch for us.”
