Man City wantaway duo conflict leaves Kane in limbo

Manchester City will not be able to sign Harry Kane before the end of the transfer window if they do not secure transfer fees for two wantaway players, according to reports.

Kane and his representatives have been heavily criticised in recent days and weeks for the way in which they are trying to force through an exit from north London.

City remain keen on the England captain and are thought to be readying a final bid to land Kane – who is currently training on his own at Spurs – rumoured to be in the region of £150m.

READ MORE: Mediawatch Special: Harry Kane, The Telegraph and client churnalism

But The Times report that the bid is dependent on the sales of Bernardo Silva and Aymeric Laporte, who are both angling for a move away from the Etihad this summer.

Silva reportedly has had a gentleman’s agreement with City since last summer, when the club said he could leave this summer should an acceptable offer come in for him.

Arsenal had expressed an interest but Silva does not want a move to another Premier League club, preferring a move to Spain to be closer to his family.

Barcelona have offered City one of their fringe players in a swap deal but City want cash to put towards Kane.

The Catalans are incapable of offering any transfer fee given their huge amount of debt, but Atletico Madrid are another possibility for the Portugal international, with Diego Simeone a big admirer.

Laporte is another of Pep Guardiola’s squad looking to leave the club this summer and has attracted the interest of Juventus.

The 27-year-old lost his starting place last season to John Stones, who formed a formidable partnership with Ruben Dias.

But Laporte’s £160,000 per week contract could well be the sticking point for potential suitors.

The situation leaves the pair and Kane in limbo; wanting a move away but without a club able to sign them.

Spurs boss Nuno Espirito Santo is clearly very bored by all of the speculation.

He said: “Maybe I’m the only one who doesn’t really care about what’s been said and written outside, because this you cannot control, and honestly with all my respect it doesn’t really matter.

“What matters is what is happening behind the doors, and what is happening behind the doors is that Harry is our player, he’s preparing himself, training today, he’s going to train tomorrow and again on Friday, joining the group, and this is how we operate.

“We don’t really pay much attention to what’s said outside regarding the situation of Harry, Harry is our player, one of the best players in the world, and we are very lucky to have him.”