Interim Tottenham boss Ryan Mason says he's spoken with Harry Kane amid reports the prolific striker wants to leave the club.
Kane has reportedly informed the club of his desire to leave in the summer transfer window, with the hope his future can be resolved before Euro 2020.
Kane still has three years left on his Spurs contract, and it's believed it would take a bid in excess of €130m to pry the 27-year old away from North London.
A limited number of fans will be inside the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium for Wednesday evening's Premier League visit of Aston Villa.
Ahead of that game, Mason was asked what he's said to Kane amid talk of a move away from the club with whom he's spent the last 17 years.
"'How are you feeling?' He feels fine," Mason revealed.
"Looking forward to tomorrow. He's going to be 100% committed. I’m looking forward to seeing him play, in our beautiful stadium, in front of our fans. So we're excited about tomorrow."
Despite the transfer chatter, Mason says Kane will keep his place in their starting XI.
| Harry Kane signed a bad deal and I can't see him going anywhere... |#OTBAM digests the latest news out of #Spurs as their star's reported request to leave the London side 🏟️
Live with @GilletteUK | #MadeOfWhatMatters pic.twitter.com/kFKFGf0nDz— Off The Ball (@offtheball) May 18, 2021
"I think he starts tomorrow," the stand-in head coach told his mid-week press conference.
"Because he’s our best striker, and one of the best strikers in the world.
"I’ve said all along, and I’ve been pretty consistent in my messages to you guys, whether that’s about my future, whether that’s about management, managers for next season, the facts are that I’m here for the next two games.
"That’s my main focus, on putting a team out and preparing a football team, to win those games of football. And hopefully tomorrow we can do that, with Harry at the front, and hopefully has an influence on the game."
Mason claims to not be aware if Kane has actually asked to leave the club or not.
The England captain turns 28 in July, and is yet to win a major senior trophy despite his hefty goal haul.
Mason believes Kane will get a good reception from the returning Spurs fans on Wednesday, insisting things haven't been made awkward by the speculation around his star striker's future.
"No I don’t think anything is awkward.
"There’s always speculation around the best players. There’s been speculation in the last three or four weeks about the new manager coming in, all these question marks. Which is normal When you’re at a big club that’s normal.
"Our focus – and I’ve said it all along – is on the next game. My mind hasn’t deviated from that, I’m sure Harry’s hasn’t. I’m sure in the rest of the group, every individual, their minds haven’t deviated from that. We’ve got to try to get the three points."
