Breaking Down the Harry Kane to Real Madrid Rumours

Not so long ago, Harry Kane was labelled a flop after a frustrating loan spell at Norwich City. 

Even more recently, Kane was derided as a one-season wonder as he endured something of a goal drought to start the season. 

Now he is being linked with a move to Real Madrid, per Sam Wallace of the Telegraph. 

After breaking Tottenham's Premier League record for goals in a calendar year in 2015, Kane has 11 league goals this season (13 in all competitions). That total puts him four behind the leading strikers in the division. Jamie Vardy and Romelu Lukaku have each scored 15 times in the league.

The numbers do not tell the whole story. 

Kane has been one of the most impressive performers in the opening half of the Premier League season. 

Jon Super/Associated Press

Not only has he been a reliable goalscorer, scoring in the biggest games, but he has continued to sharpen other aspects of his game. 

The goal he scored against Southampton was a spectacular combination of power and skill. The opener against Arsenal was a cold-blooded finish in a huge moment. 

He is quickly blossoming into a remarkable player for whom the description "young" no longer applies. 

Not because he is old, he's still just 22, but because the quality and consistency of his play stand him up against England's best players of any age. 

Kane was the young player of the year in 2014-15, and this season he is a genuine candidate for the top award. 

CIES' bi-annual list of the 100 highest valued footballers places Kane at No. 5, with a nominal transfer value of £68 million. 

Were Kane to make a move for that colossal fee, it would make him the sixth-most expensive player in football history. 

Beloved by Tottenham fans and under contract until 2020, Kane would be highly unlikely to leave for anything far short of a world record. 

Wallace of the Telegraph reported that the Spanish giants have kept an eye on Kane for "more than a year." 

Happily for Spurs fans, they also say that there is "no prospect" of a January move. 

Kane is the only senior striker at the club, and there is no chance he would be allowed to depart in the winter window. 

However, Luka Modric and Bale's moves to Madrid underline the reality of modern football; every player has a price. 

Unlike those two, though, Kane came through Spurs' academy and appears to feel a genuine connection with the club. 

No player in recent memory, bar perhaps Ledley King, has had such a connection with the fans and come so quickly to represent the club. 

His departure would be the most painful, personal blow since Sol Campbell's move across north London. 

Madrid's interest in Kane could be part football strategy and part marketing move. 

English stars David Beckham, Michael Owen and Jonathan Woodgate were all team-mates in the Spanish capital in the 2004-05 season and, while no trophies were won, it was arguably the high-water mark of the first Galacticos era. 

With 30-year-old Cristiano Ronaldo's career likely winding down and Bale, Isco and James Rodriguez poised to take over, Real president Florentino Perez could see Kane as part of the third wave of his infamous transfer/marketing strategy. 

For now, this may feel like a laughable transfer rumour. However, it is worth remembering that the first rumblings that Gareth Bale would make a world-record move to Madrid were similarly scorned. 

Just a few months later the Welshman was trying out his tortured Spanish accent after signing a six-year deal. 

Real routinely pluck the finest players from around Europe regardless of the demands of their squad. However, with El Chiringuito (h/t Sport) suggesting the potential departure of Karim Benzema in the summer, Madrid would be left short in attack. 

Kerstin Joensson/Associated Press

Kane is an almost certain starter for England at this summer's European Championships in France and, should he exceed expectations, could become a realistic target for Real.