Jose Mourinho has insisted he will not “play that game” of speculating on Harry Kane’s future and added the striker should “be happy with the moment he is living” for England and Tottenham.
The 27-year-old stoked rumours he may consider leaving Spurs after the 2020 European Championships when asked about reports linking him with a move to Manchester United, Manchester City or Real Madrid.
“I’m fully focused on doing the job on the pitch from now until the end of the summer, and then we’ll see where we go from there,” he said in response.
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Kane, who scored twice on international duty as England won all three World Cup qualifiers, is under contract until 2024 with Spurs chairman Daniel Levy reluctant to entertain selling the England captain.
“I cannot play that game. I have to focus on what is for us,” Mourinho said at a news conference on Friday. “Of course I am always pleased when my players go to national teams and do well.
“So, I am happy that he does well for England, I am happy that England wins obviously. I cannot play that game of what the people say, what the people don’t say.
“I focus on what he did for us in the last match against Aston Villa, I focus on the effort that I saw him put on the pitch for England against Albania and Poland and I focus on the match against Newcastle when I’m pretty sure that playing very well, well, or not so well, scoring two, one or nil, he will be there for the team.”
Asked about Kane’s positive body language during training and games, Mourinho outlined a run-in which continues with Sunday’s Premier League trip to Newcastle where Spurs will aim to close a three-point gap to the top four before an EFL Cup Final against Manchester City later this month.
“I don’t know if he always has a smile on his face [but] what I know is, he’s professional,” Mourinho added.
“Part of being talented or not, it is very important that the player to be professional and he is. I am very, very pleased to have him and I repeat I am happy to see him and all the other guys when they go to the national team, I am always happy they do well, it is always better when they come back after positive results.
“He is living a good period. He is doing well for club and country and ahead of him until the end of the season, he has nice challenges. He has a final to play, a Premier League to fight for every point, then he has a Euros with the possibility to play a final at Wembley. I think he has to be happy with the moment he is living.
“I want Harry to be with us how he has been, I want Harry to repeat against Newcastle the performance he had against Aston Villa. When I say ‘the same performance,’ I say the same commitment, the same desire, the same team spirit, the same leadership, that’s what I want. And I know I’m going to have that.”
Spurs will have Son Heung-Min (hamstring) and Sergio Reguilon (foot) available to face Newcastle after injury but Ben Davies and Matt Doherty are out after sustaining unspecified problems on international duty.
