Kane saga leaves Spurs paying price for Levy's 'ego'

Earlier this summer, when there was still the feeling that Manchester United might come in for Harry Kane, it was put to one figure at the club that Bayern Munich were very confident of getting him.

- MIGUEL DELANEY

“They have no experience of dealing with Daniel Levy,” came the response. The German champions have since found out the very hard way.

Extremely late on in the Kane deal, just as the player was about to board the plane, negotiations were ongoing with Tottenham about the make-up of the final figures.

Levy has long been insistent that 80 per cent of the overall package should be guaranteed and the total fee should come to £120m. This has made many people in the football industry roll their eyes, but it all reflects how the chair has long divided Tottenham fans. The cries of “Levy out” and “get out our club” grew louder and louder last season, in that gleaming new stadium.

Those who back him, and have admittedly been the far quieter party lately, would point to how he has gradually built the club from a glamorous but underperforming name to one of the Premier League's “super clubs” with the best infrastructure in Europe. They were included in the Super League, after all. Levy is clearly adept at long-term macro business strategy.

Those who criticise him, and many of the fans would not even give him the credit for the business side, say this is constantly undercut by a short-term misunderstanding of football.