Tottenham Hotspur have remained strong in their position concerning Harry Kane's future, insisting that the forward will not be sold.
Daniel Levy is clearly hoping that the England captain's desire to break the all-time Premier League scoring record will outweigh his desperation for silverware, of which he boasts none from his time in north London.
The 29-year-old has given everything to this football club, and with Bayern Munich remaining undaunted by this stance, they continue to test the resolve of a club desperate to keep ahold of a gem with just one year left on his deal.
Ange Postecoglou would likely hope to see this saga cleared up soon, so he can start to plan a brighter future at the club with or without their star man.
Given how active they have already been in the window, far more free-spending than in past years, it seems that their new coach will receive full backing to usher in a new age. Should Kane depart, as devastating as it would be, at the very least the former Celtic boss would get his pick of the new man set to spearhead his side.
As per journalist Ben Jacobs, who noted on Sunday, they have already sounded out Jonathan David as such a replacement.
It is within that report that a fresh bid for Kane is expected, suggesting that the mere presence of a contingency plan in case of his departure suggests there is a reality where he leaves this summer.
How many goals has Jonathan David scored?
In the Canadian, the Lilywhites would gain an all-action forward to replace their technically-exceptional number nine.
The 23-year-old boasts pace, physicality and frightening finishing prowess, which he has shown with regularity during his time at LOSC Lille.
His youth proves no barrier, as last season he managed to notch 24 league goals for the French outfit despite their struggles. It marked his best scoring season thus far for this club, having notched 15 the year prior, and 13 as they momentarily ended Paris Saint-Germain's monopoly against all the odds.
Podcaster Tony Marinaro, who was enamoured with the form of his compatriot went as far as to claim: "He is a student of the game. He does everything right. Simply put, he’s a phenom. One of the best strikers in the world is Canadian".
This title-winning mentality, plus an added emphasis on his physicality, arguably makes him an even better fit for a Postecoglou side that often forces the striker to do plenty of running.
Whilst in Scotland, the 57-year-old deployed Kyogo Furuhashi as a lone striker, with his role focused on leading the press. Although his main marksman would still notch 34 goals across all competitions in his final year in charge, he forged many other chances due to the sacrifices he made for the team.
For all his outstanding qualities, Kane is unlikely to do that.
It would be near-impossible to find a like-for-like replacement for the man who scored 30 Premier League goals last term amidst all the turmoil, as few strikers in the modern game could be so prolific yet so creative too. He would record 1.5 key passes per match too (fourth best in the squad), to supplement that claim.
However, for the betterment of the club, his big-money exit could pave the way for a brighter future where they are not reliant upon just one man.
Redistributing funds to bolster the general squad would provoke long-term success in north London, with David a fine focal point to underpin such revolutionary change.
