Antonio Conte: 'Tottenham Hotspur want to keep Harry Kane until he retires'

Ahead of another expected trophyless season for the North London club, Kane's future is once again the subject of intense speculation as he runs down his contract.

Kane has fewer than 18 months left to run on his current deal, which expires at the end of next season, and Tottenham are bracing themselves for bids in the upcoming window.

Manchester United and Bayern Munich are believed to be the two leading contenders to prise Kane - who will turn 30 this summer still waiting for a piece of silverware - away from North London ahead of the 2023-24 season.

Speaking to reporters ahead of Saturday's Premier League trip to Southampton, Conte affirmed that Tottenham will want to ensure Kane remains a one-club man as they strive to tie him down to a new contract.

"But I think that this is a question for the club. For sure, the club wants to involve Harry Kane for the rest of his career in my opinion," football.london quotes Conte as saying.

"Because when you have this type of player, a world class striker like him, for sure you want him to stay here for the rest of his career. But then you know football, you know football. Sometimes it's unpredictable but I think it's not in my task to make a decision. This is a decision for the club and for Harry."

Tottenham are yet to make headway in preliminary talks with Kane over a new deal, but they are supposedly not considering selling the England skipper even if he does not agree to a new deal before the end of the season.

The Lilywhites, who rejected nine-figure bids from Manchester City in 2021, are ready to allow contract talks to drag on into the 2023-24 season, even with the risk of Kane being allowed to leave for free next summer.

Such an approach may benefit the North London club, though, as Man United are supposedly not willing to enter a protracted transfer saga with renowned hardball negotiator Daniel Levy.

Kane continues to steer further clear at the top of Tottenham's all-time scoring charts after breaking Jimmy Greaves's record last month, now sitting on 270 goals and 63 assists from 424 outings.

The Three Lions skipper struck a brace in last weekend's 3-1 beating of Nottingham Forest to bring up 20 goals for the Premier League season, marking the sixth time he has hit that number in a single campaign.

Conte's own future also remains the subject of much debate, with the Tottenham coach out of contract this summer and joking that he could be sacked following their FA Cup and Champions League exits.

However, the Italian insisted that there was no seriousness in his comments and he does not expect to be given the boot in the coming weeks, adding: "This was a provocation, you understand, about my future. A provocation, a joke, 'una battuta'.

"When you tell something, to joke. You asked me about the future and I said to you that you don't know what happens. Because maybe the club can sack me. But I repeat: I don't think the club is thinking this. The club sees everyday what me and my staff, we are doing for this club. It was only an answer about my future."

Tottenham sit four points clear of Newcastle United in fourth place in the Premier League table ahead of their trip to St Mary's this weekend.