Crucial Arsenal derby offers Harry Kane the perfect chance to shape Tottenham future

Strange to think Harry Kane’s last goal in a north London derby helped to send Jose Mourinho’s Tottenham top of the Premier League in December 2020.

In those distorted days of pandemic football, there was a brief period of wondering if Spurs could satisfy Kane with a sustained title challenge, never more so than immediately after that 2-0 win over Arsenal.

Now, as Spurs prepare for the latest visit of their rivals on Thursday, both clubs are fighting for the more modest target of fourth place — and the question of Kane’s satisfaction remains open.

The England captain is waiting until the end of the season before making any decisions on his future, but there is a feeling at Spurs that he can be persuaded not to agitate for a move again this summer. Kane is a huge admirer of head coach Antonio Conte and his other options are dwindling.

Erling Haaland’s impending move to Manchester City has killed off their interest, while Manchester United’s decision to appoint Erik ten Hag over Mauricio Pochettino decreases the chances of a move to Old Trafford.

The increasing likelihood is that Kane will continue his quest for honours at Spurs, at least until next summer, but he wants Conte to be backed — and playing in the Champions League is likely to influence his thinking, adding another loaded sub-plot to Thursday’s game.

Kane is the top scorer in the history of the north London derby, with 11, but to an extent he has gone off the boil at just the wrong time for Spurs, who trail fourth-placed Arsenal by four points with three games remaining.

He has scored once in the past six games and has looked a little heavy since the 4-0 win over Aston Villa on April 9. Kane was influential in Saturday’s hard-fought 1-1 draw with Liverpool,