Transfer news - Harry Kane confident he will leave Tottenham Hotspur this summer - Paper Round

Tottenham striker Harry Kane believes he will leave his boyhood club this summer after completing an emotional lap of honour following the north London club's defeat at home to Aston Villa on Wednesday evening. The Mirror report that the England international felt his farewell to the Spurs fans was his way of saying goodbye after 17 years at the club. Kane has planned a "next phase" to his exit plan, which would involve releasing a statement to Spurs supporters outlining his love for Tottenham, but his desire to move on to win trophies. Tottenham are determined to keep Kane at the club beyond the summer, despite interest from domestic rivals Manchester City, Manchester United and Chelsea.

Paper Round's view: Kane's interview on Thursday was pretty telling. He made it clear that it would be him, not Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy who would be deciding his future. Obviously he's under contract until 2024, but it would become difficult to keep a player of Kane's stature if he publicly stated his desire to leave. The 27-year-old has given so much to Spurs, they should really respect his wishes if he wants to leave. The main problem is that it looks like he would be moving to a domestic rival. If Kane were to leave, Levy needs to make sure Tottenham receive a huge transfer fee and get their recruitment team to make sure the money is invested wisely.

Manchester City striker Sergio Aguero is set to depart the Premier League champions this summer after 10 years at the Eithad Stadium. The Mirror reveal that the 32-year-old has agreed to sign a two-year deal with Barcelona following the expiration of his contract with City. Aguero has agreed to take a pay-cut which will see him earn £80,000 per week, which is less than half of his current salary. The Argentine's reduced wage has opened the door to Barcelona completing the free signing of Memphis Depay from Lyon.

Paper Round's view: Somehow Barcelona allowed Luis Suarez to leave for free last summer (to a direct rival) but are now looking to sign another ageing striker who struggles staying fit. The biggest benefit from the Aguero signing might be that it will keep star man Lionel Messi happy. The two Argentines are good friends and Barca are keen to do everything they can to keep Messi at the Camp Nou after he publicly declared his desire to leave last summer. The Catalan club's financial struggles are pretty well-known, so the free signings of Aguero and Depay might be the best they can hope for in the transfer market.

Manchester City are planning to open contract talks with Raheem Sterling before the start of next season, despite the fact that he has fallen out of favour in recent months. The Telegraph report that Pep Guardiola's side hope that Sterling, who has just two years remaining on his current deal, will commit his long-term future to the club. The 26-year-old was waiting until the end of the season to open negotiations over a new contract, but City feel that they won't be able to do this until after the European Championships due to Sterling's expected involvement for England.

Paper Round's view: Yes - Sterling has fallen down the pecking order at Manchester City in the past couple of months, but there's no doubt that he is a world-class forward on his day. It's been a season like no other due to the impacts of the coronavirus pandemic so he may either be feeling a bit of fatigue, or even just lacking a bit of confidence after being dropped to the bench. There's no reason for City to contemplate selling Sterling, so offering him a contract extension to commit his future to the club makes complete sense.

Newcastle plan to turn Joe Willock's loan move from Arsenal into a permanent transfer this summer, according to the Telegraph. The 21-year-old has been a huge hit since joining the Magpies in the winter window, scoring six goals in his last six appearances. The Telegraph reveal that Arsenal would be willing to sell Willock in order to increase their transfer budget and their chances of being able to afford to sign on-loan creative midfielder Martin Odegaard on a permanent basis from Real Madrid. Willock's asking price was originally £20 million, but the Gunners may increase their demands after his recent run of form.

Paper Round's view: An Arsenal academy product hits an impressive run of form in the Premier League and the club are instantly looking to sell him? It makes no sense. Willock hasn't been given a fair run in the side from manager Mikel Arteta and he could prove to be a future star, based on his performances for Newcastle. Emile Smith Rowe is a good example of how the Gunners should be more patient with their youngsters. The 20-year-old was only given a chance in the Boxing Day win against Chelsea. Willock needs his chance at Arsenal before the club decide to cash in on him.