Tottenham must avoid selling stars to Manchester United

LONDON, ENGLAND - FEBRUARY 26: Dele Alli of Tottenham Hotspur celebrates scoring his teams fourth goal with teammate Harry Kane during the Premier League match between Tottenham Hotspur and Stoke City at White Hart Lane on February 26, 2017 in London, England. (Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND - FEBRUARY 26: Dele Alli of Tottenham Hotspur celebrates scoring his teams fourth goal with teammate Harry Kane during the Premier League match between Tottenham Hotspur and Stoke City at White Hart Lane on February 26, 2017 in London, England. (Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images) /
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Tottenham Hotspur selling star players such as Harry Kane and Eric Dier to league rivals Manchester United would erase all that Spurs recently achieved.

Much has changed for Tottenham Hotspur, Manchester United, the English Premier League and world football, in general, since Tottenham striker Dimitar Berbatov made the move from White Hart Lane to Old Trafford on September 1, 2008. United were arguably the most recognizable English club in all the world, Tottenham were league afterthoughts who saw stars such as Berbatov poached by more successful entities and the league, as a whole, was still attempting to expand in areas such as North America.

It’s a different world as of the start of the summer of 2017. United continue to struggle to find solid ground following the retirement of legendary manager Sir Alex Ferguson in the spring of 2013, while Tottenham have become European mainstays and recently earned Champions League football for the second straight campaign.

Spurs, not United, have the more promising squad filled with young talents capable of winning the Premier League next season, and Tottenham’s bright future also includes the development of a world-class stadium and a partnership with the National Football League.

One thing that hasn’t changed over the past decade, though, is United’s apparent willingness to break the bank on transfers. After all, the Red Devils seem the only realistic landing spot for Cristiano Ronaldo if Ronaldo is serious about making an exit from Real Madrid this summer. This reality has led to some speculation United could attempt swoops for multiple Tottenham stars between now and early September.

Spurs right back Kyle Walker, who has been linked with Manchester City, would be a nice addition to the United squad. Striker Harry Kane and versatile defensive asset Eric Dier are allegedly coveted by United during the early stages of the “silly season” portion of the calendar, during which a wide variety of unsubstantiated rumors will see the light of day but never come close to playing out in real life.

Walker may or may not be on United’s radar depending on the latest reports you wish to believe, so we’ll start with Dier if only because his completing the switch from Tottenham to the red part of Manchester seems the most likely of the three potential transactions. Spurs, theoretically, would have the money and talent to survive such a sale, and Tottenham receiving an offer of £50 million for Dier, a 23-year-old on a contract that could keep him with Spurs through 2021, could entice chairman Daniel Levy to cash in.

Kane, obviously, shouldn’t be on the market for any club at the moment. The 23-year-old is a two-time Premier League Golden Boot winner who is signed through 2022, meaning even an offer of £100 million from any team, let alone one looking to leapfrog Spurs in the league table, shouldn’t be enough for Tottenham to sell this summer.

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For the time being, take player names out of equations and instead focus on the two clubs. United wouldn’t waste the time to phone City over a special star such as Kane. Arsenal know they can’t buy Walker, Dier, Kane or any other significant player from Spurs. Why does the assumption still exist Tottenham would sell to the former Big Bad Wolf United used to represent in days of old?

Assuming Levy, manager Mauricio Pochettino and others within the club are thinking beyond only the next couple of months, the answer to such a question is that there’s no logical reason to expect Spurs will sell any noteworthy star to United. Don’t forget it wasn’t that long ago midfielder Luka Modric couldn’t complete a move from Spurs to Chelsea no matter how hard he tried. Gareth Bale was always only being sold to Real Madrid, if at all, in the summer of 2013.

Tottenham must retain stars, specifically Kane, if Spurs are to again chase the league title next season, but such thinking is also about the bigger picture. Tottenham are currently on pace to average roughly one tour of the United States every 2-3 years. The club’s 10-year agreement with the NFL is equal parts ambitious and unprecedented, and it’s occurred at a time when the Premier League is more popular and more watched around the world than ever before.

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In a message delivered before the club’s final match at the Lane — ironically, for the purposes of this piece, versus none other than United — Levy wrote Spurs were about to “enter the biggest period of change” in Tottenham history. Part of that period of change must include Levy informally announcing Tottenham are no longer a feeder club for United, City or any other English outfit. Otherwise, Spurs are wasting everyone’s time and also a boatload of money on a project that won’t be worth the hassle.