da bet7： Tottenham Hotspur are a club boasting a rich history, although recently things have been far from easy.
da betway： Since their 2008 League Cup triumph, the Lilywhites have showcased a worrying adversity towards silverware, and despite reaching a few finals, have never really put in a consistent stint at the pinnacle of English football.
Winning a trophy is everything for Daniel Levy, as he outlined in the club's recent fan forum, but also he seems to have now realised that he cannot forego the journey it takes to reach that level. Having enjoyed years of success under Mauricio Pochettino, the subsequent appointments of Jose Mourinho and Antonio Conte showcased such a mindset, seeking to cut corners to return to the top.
With Ange Postecoglou now at the helm, it once again seems like the necessary systems are in place to cultivate long-term success in north London once again, with their desire to win cups bound to occur should they maintain their current trajectory.
What makes their blistering start to the new season even more impressive is the manner in which they have moved on from the sale of Harry Kane, which threatened to derail the former Celtic man's plans before they had even got underway.
How many goals did Harry Kane score for Spurs?
Having emerged through the academy, the rapid rate with which the English marksman began to grow was astounding, swiftly becoming a mainstay under the Argentine boss who prided himself on youth promotion.
A breakthrough year saw him score 21 league goals, and despite being branded as a one-season wonder, the 30-year-old would take little time to dispel such a suggestion.
In fact, the current England captain would go on to score 314 goals across a career that is almost guaranteed to reap some silverware at last with Bayern Munich, having become Spurs' all-time leading scorer as well as his country's.
A true legend of the English game, many pundits would rush to laud his contribution across his tenure in N17, with Jamie O'Hara even telling talkSPORT (23 March, 10.30pm) before the announcement of his £100m switch: "I’ll put it out there; I think he is the greatest striker English football has ever produced.
"He’ll get 70 goals for England. He will break the Premier League record. How can we have any negativity whatsoever towards a man who’s got everything? What he’s done lasts forever. He is immortal in the game of football. You are always going to remember Harry Kane for what he achieved for Tottenham, for England and in the Premier League."
He can do it all, with the creativity and intelligence to drop deep and forge chances for others, but the clinical cutting edge that has seen him grow into one of the Premier League's most consistent scorers for nearly a decade.
His departure always seemed inevitable, but that did little to ease the pain such a transfer commanded.
Although Postecoglou may have steered them through such a tough period, navigating the first few months without the 86-cap superstar, eventually they are bound to start feeling the effects that the absence of such a legendary figure will surely incur. Until then, they will seek to continue riding the wave that summer signing James Maddison is spearheading.
Whilst Kane will likely go down as one of their greatest-ever players, and rightly so, there was actually a moment in time well before his emergence when they could have signed an upgrade.
There are few strikers across history who can compete with the goalscoring figures posted by the Englishman, but in Samuel Eto'o, the Englishman would have had a true rival had they played at the same time. With more than comparable numbers when it came to finding the net, and a trophy cabinet that some of the greatest of all time would be proud of, this failed transfer marks one of the club's worst to date.
Did Spurs nearly sign Samuel Eto'o?
Reports have emerged noting the time when the Lilywhites once courted the Cameroonian finisher, with The Athletic seeking to detail the first. They would simply write: "Samuel Eto’o was another centre-forward linked at that time with Spurs and other English clubs, but none were willing to take a punt on the 21-year-old, who was then at Real Mallorca."
Career Appearances
519
728
Career Goals
314
364
Career Assists
85
118
Major Honours
0
22
Data via Transfermarkt
However, the manager at the time Glenn Hoddle would seek to go into greater detail, writing in his column for Bleacher Report: "Through my contacts in the game, I had lined up what I thought would be a pretty potent attacking force in Samuel Eto’o and Spanish international centre-forward Fernando Morientes, who had a formidable goalscoring record in his prime.
"I read recently in the Daily Mail that Tim Sherwood once scouted Luis Suarez for Harry Redknapp and came back with a report that put the club off buying him. I’ve no idea how accurate that report might be, but it made me think about the time I tried to sign Eto’o in his prime. I suffered a similar thing with Eto’o and Morienties. There were negative reports about both, and the deals that I had set up fell apart."
However, the 65-year-old former England boss would rush to defend his chairman over the saga: "Before anyone jumps to conclusions, this is not something to which I am pointing a finger at the chairman Daniel Levy. I had a very good relationship with Daniel back then and still do."
Barcelona were the eventual beneficiary of his services, joining for $29.41m (£24m) from RCD Mallorca in 2004.
How many trophies did Samuel Eto'o win?
To have to compare Eto'o with Kane is a true testament to just how impressive a career the latter has enjoyed, having seemingly emerged from nowhere.
However, when it comes to title-winning pedigree and the ability to pop up in key moments, it could be argued that the two could not be further apart.
La Liga
3
Serie A
1
Champions League
4
Olympic Medals
1
Spanish Cups
2
Italian Cups
2
Data via Transfermarkt.
After all, the 42-year-old would retire only four years ago, and boasted a trophy cabinet that most could only dream of. Across spells with Barcelona, Inter Milan, Real Madrid and even Chelsea, the marksman would win four Champions League titles and the league in both Italy and Spain among numerous other domestic honours.
Not to mention that he achieved such a feat whilst also winning the African Footballer of the Year on four occasions, which should come as no surprise given he would finish with a fine tally of 364 goals and 118 assists throughout a sparkling career.
In fact, even Pep Guardiola would seek to laud him despite their feud, with the Spaniard noting: "Incredible player, outstanding striker, one of the best I met and have seen, personality, character, top scorer, more pressure, better performance. I had him for one season."
Kane will remain a legend at Spurs and of English football, but had they signed Eto'o under Hoddle, the landscape with which the Englishman emerged could have been so different. Had he grown up during an era where the north London outfit had even the slightest foundation for success, his presence could have made them the dominant force in England.