Tottenham Hotspur boss Mauricio Pochettino has insisted that Harry Kane is "not for sale", but is not shocked that the striker has been linked with Real Madrid.
A report emerged overnight claiming that the Spanish giants have picked Kane as a long-term replacement for Cristiano Ronaldo.
While no bid is expected to be made this month, it is believed that Madrid, who worked with Spurs in 2013 to agree the £85m capture of Gareth Bale, will strike should Ronaldo leave the Bernabeu in the near future.
The report claims that Spurs chairman Daniel Levy would prefer to sell Kane to a club outside of the Premier League, but Pochettino has told reporters that there is no chance of the club letting go of the England international.
"It is a rumour but it doesn't surprise me," Pochettino said in Friday's press conference. "I think Harry Kane is one of the best strikers in Europe if not the world. It wouldn't surprise me if some big teams are interested in him. It is only a rumour.
"He is not for sale, and the good thing is that Harry wants to stay with us - this is the most important thing. Sometimes a manager or head coach can say a 'player is not for sale', but the player wants to leave.
"There are a lot of examples of that, but in this case, the good thing that Tottenham don't want to sell him sell. Harry Kane wants to stay with us."
Kane has scored 13 goals in 26 appearances this season.
Danielle Joynson
