PSG eye Harry Kane as Mbappe replacement

Harry Kane's future has been one of the top subjects of speculations in the ongoing summer transfer window. Recent reports have emerged claiming that French giants Paris Saint-Germain FC have made the striker a "top priority" following the arrival of new head coach Luis Enrique.

The England captain is still under contract with Premier League side Tottenham Hotspur, but his departure has been rumoured since last year due to the club's inability to offer him title-winning opportunities. Kane is widely known to be the best player never to have won a trophy with his club, and pressure is building for him to seek pastures new in order to take his career to a new level.

Tottenham finished all the way down in eighth place in the league last season, and are not even qualified to play in Europe. As such, the chances are high that Kane could depart in order to seek silverware with a new club.

PSG Community reports that Ligue 1 champions Paris Saint-Germain have entered the race for the striker, and both their new manager and their chairman Nasser Al-Khelaifi are focused on making the deal happen

Why PSG are in hot pursuit

PSG have shown over the past several seasons that they are willing to go to great lengths to bring the world's best players to the Parc des Princes. They are on a mission to win their maiden UEFA Champions League trophy, and patience is running low after the arrivals of superstars like Neymar Jr., Lionel Messi, Sergio Ramos, Keylor Navas and Angel di Maria, among others, bore no fruit.

With most of the aforementioned players already on their way out, PSG are seeking new stars to reignite their project. Kylian Mbappe was seen as the man to be at the centre of the club's future, but his refusal to extend beyond 2024 has left the club with a major deficit in their forward line.

Money is of course not an issue for the club's Qatari owners, and a deal worth £260,000-a-week over five years is reportedly being prepared for Kane. The same report suggests that there had already been conversations between Al-Khelaifi and Kane's brother and agent, Charlie.

Spurs chief Daniel Levy is not keen to let go of the club's all-time record goalscorer, but if he must, he won't let the striker go on a free transfer next summer. As such, he might be forced to take the most lucrative offer on the table this year.

PSG are desperate to find a solution to the Mbappe issue

When Kylian Mbappe signed a two-year deal with PSG last summer, it seemed as though his transfer saga was over for the next few years. However, his refusal to take up the option to extend another year has forced the club to give him an ultimatum: extend until 2025 or leave now.

Mbappe had been willing to play in Paris for the remaining year of his contract until 2024, but PSG are appalled by the idea of letting him leave for free next summer. Furthermore, they do not want to keep a player who will no longer be part of their future. They could not build long term plans around Mbappe, meaning they might be better off starting from scratch as soon as possible. Hence, the prospect of signing Kane seems like a golden opportunity.

Daniel Levy won't accept anything below £100m for the striker, meaning PSG have a high chance of closing the deal.

Bayern Munich face tough competition

Prior to PSG's interest, Kane had been heavily linked with German Bundesliga side Bayern Munich. The Germans have already submitted two bids to Tottenham worth £56 million and £68 million, but both offers have so far been rejected.

Bayern are believed to be preparing to come back with an improved bid of about £70million, and personal terms have already been discussed with the striker. However, the talks may end up getting hijacked by PSG if Levy makes it a bidding war between the two clubs.

The decision may also fall in the hands of the 29 year old, who is keen on finally populating his trophy cabinet. He will have great chances of winning trophies with either club, as both PSG and Bayern have been scooping up consecutive titles in their domestic competitions over the past several years.

Bayern have not only been consistent German champions, they have also won the Champions League six times, most recently in 2020. They defeated PSG in that final, giving them extra bragging rights over the French side. This could make Bayern the more appealing choice for Kane, but it remains to be seen if Levy will be able to put his foot down on the transfer.

Either way, the player would want the issue to be settled as soon as possible, ideally before the club leaves on a summer tour that takes them to Australia, Thailand and Singapore. However, fans will be mighty disappointed if they had bought tickets to see Kane in action, only for him to sign with another club before the summer tour kicks off.