Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou issues defiant Harry Kane message with Bayern Munich transfer nearly done
Harry Kane is on the verge of leaving Tottenham for Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich
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Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou has insisted the club will move forward without Harry Kane.
The striker is on the verge of moving to Bayern Munich after a fee was agreed between the two sides late on Wednesday night.
Kane is jetting off to Germany today to undergo a medical and will become Bayern's most-expensive signing of all time.
And Postecoglu, speaking ahead of his side's Premier League opener against Brentford on Sunday, has now defiantly insisted the club will move forward without the player.
Ange Postecoglou has reacted to Harry Kane's imminent move from Tottenham to Bayern Munich
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"I didn't see the point in [pitching myself] because whatever I was going to say was going to be irrelevant," he said.
"I could plan his grand vision but I'm sure he'd heard it all before.
"My feeling was we'll get to know each other, that's the best way to navigate this early bit.
"Having said that, in my mind after that initial conversation [on the first day], he'd made up his mind that if the clubs agreed he'd go but he was also happy to stay if they didn't.
"Fair to say I don't have a blow by blow account of the whole thing but fair to say it's progressed to the point where it looks like it's going to happen.
"It gives us clarity and unless something unforeseen happens we'll move on.
"It's best Harry speaks for himself on the decision but there's no doubts he's one of the greats of this football club.
"His record speaks for himself. I'm only new in the building but I'm certainly not the spokesman for this football club in declaring people's status but I think it's clear Harry Kane is one of the greats."
On potentially replacing Kane, he continued: "I don't think there's a like for like replacement for Harry.
"We've been planning for this for a while to be fair. It doesn't take too much investigative work to know that this was going to happen. Our business up to now reflects that.
"I don't think it works that way [giving Daniel Levy a list of strikers to get].
"It's not like the family shopping list to go and get milk and bread for the kids.
"My whole strategy has been that Harry was unlikely to be around so it wasn't like we had a pow wow this morning.
"I think if you're involved in football as long as I have, you know clubs are not going to talk to each other without the player knowing.
"We weren't talking to Wolfsburg without knowing Micky van de Ven wanted to come.
"[Harry and I] had a chat on the first day.
"He was up front and honest that if they could agree a deal then he would go.
"He wanted it decided by the first game and that was my preference as well.
"We move forward without Harry."
One player who will be forced to step up and shine in the wake of Kane's imminent move is Richarlison.
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And Postecoglu has confirmed the Brazil international is fit for the showdown with Brentford.
"Richarlison is fit. There wasn't any doubt about that," he said.
"He didn't play against Shakhtar but he wasn't likely to. He picked up a knock in training but came through fine against Barcelona.