Tottenham Hotspur legend Glenn Hoddle has admitted he wouldn’t blame Harry Kane if he opted to quit the club in the summer.
Ambitious centre-forward Kane has had another stellar season for Spurs with 21 goals and 13 assists in the Premier League alone.
But after losing the the Carabao Cup final to Manchester City, he will end another season without silverware.
Tottenham, who sacked Jose Mourinho last month, are struggling in their bid to finish in the top four, too.
They currently sit five points behind fourth-place Chelsea, but West Ham and Liverpool are also jostling for position in the run-in.
Kane has already discussed his disappointment at having no trophies to show for his efforts with Tottenham and, at 27, he’s entering his prime.
Manchester United and Man City have been linked with a move for Kane, along with Real Madrid – all clubs battling for bigger prizes than Spurs right now.
And speaking to the talkSPORT Breakfast, Hoddle admitted the player has got a big decision to make.
He said: “It’s very difficult. I think it’s a bit of a crossroads for Tottenham. The bottom line is you’ve got to keep your best players.
“I certainly hope Harry Kane does not leave in the summer… but I wouldn’t blame him if he did.
“But I would love him to stay and I think it’s important who comes in. It’s a difficult job at the moment and there are a few options out there
“The thing is, I think he is protected in the contract. It’s not up for another couple of years yet, at least. I don’t know if Harry is one who wants to go aboard, I don’t know whether that is in his mind and if his family want that challenge.
“He’s going to go for a lot of money if he does leave, but I hope he stays, I really sincerely hope he stays and the team can be built around him.”
Hoddle believes, if Tottenham manage to tempt Kane to remain in north London, they need to bring in some new recruits, particularly in defence.
“The main thing is keeping your best players, first and foremost, but I think everyone would see that that squad doesn’t go deep enough,” added the White Hart Lane icon.
“They’ve got to have a look at the squad and improve the squad if they’re going to compete with the likes of Chelsea and the other clubs.
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“It’s been one of those seasons where about eight teams have been top of the league, even Spurs had their spell at the top of the Premier League for a short period of time, but there’s no doubt it’s dropped from there.
“It is a slightly aging group of players as well, which is concerning especially at the back positions.
“So there’s a lot of work to be done at Tottenham, where they go from now is the big question. It’s a big responsibility on Daniel Levy’s shoulders to get this right.”