The club got paid, but the emotional cost is certainly high.

Harry Kane is gone.

It feels weird typing that sentence, even though we’re waiting for the official reveal from Bayern Munich, a reveal that will finally end this long, drawn-out saga. For the past couple of months, a lot of things have been said to try and cope with everything going on. Long-time readers of this site know that we try to mix humor where we can while giving you the details of what’s being reported, all while adding our own thoughts.

Now that we know the final deal’s details and Tottenham Hotspur Football Club have made arguably the most painful decision in its 141 year history, it’s time to reflect.

This is purely an opinion piece. I know there are some that will not agree with my sentiment here, and that is quite alright. You can also poke fun at me for writing this piece a few weeks after I stepped down.

Remember: We never truly leave this site.

Let’s dive in…

Harry Kane is as close to irreplaceable as can be, but it was time.

This was never going to be an easy transfer, whether it be financially or emotionally. Despite Harry Kane being one of the best strikers in the world, the market for him was always tight due to multiple reasons.

The drama with Kane and the potential move to Manchester City turned out to be a sh*tshow in every meaning of the word: Kane screwed it up from the start, his brother didn’t help things, and Manchester City never seemed to be serious about it. The silver lining that summer was watching Sonny sign a new deal and find himself more of a hero to the club with that 1-0 victory in the season opener.In that saga, Kane didn’t have a choice: He had to come back.

This time around, it seemed everyone learned their lesson. Spurs were in the middle of a manager search but talked with Kane ahead of things. When Ange Postecoglu was announced as the new manager, we now know that he talked with Harry the first chance he got and both were honest with each other: Kane could get on board, but he wasn’t committing past this year.

In Kane’s defense, that was absolutely his right. Clubs are always quick to point at a contract and say “Honor the contract!” when a player decides to hold out for a move, but in this situation Kane was simply stating a fact. Ange understood that and, by then, the wheels were in motion.

Emotions are always difficult to put aside, but in this case, I don’t blame a single supporter who said that Kane was invaluable to Spurs and they wanted to do everything possible to keep him, even if it meant letting him walk on a free transfer next summer.

The counter to that, for me at least, has always been I’m not sure I could handle it if he decided to re-join Mauricio Pochettino at Chelsea, even though Manchester United seemed to be the logical choice for him. I would like to point out that the Red Devils opted to drop £72m on Rasmus Hojlund this summer and it’s entirely possible United wouldn’t make a move for him. This is purely conjecture on my part, but it’s another wrench to throw into the mess.

What I do know is this: As much as it hurts, Kane going to Germany where he can win silverware with Bayern Munich hurts a lot less.

Daniel Levy played his hand beautifully.

Levy is not perfect. In fact, he is downright infuriating at times.

Full disclosure, he broke me earlier this year. I was very Mad Online. I wanted Julian Nagelsmann as the manager but had talked myself into Arne Slot. Everything seemed done and dusted….and then the plug was pulled. I said he needed to get the hell out of the way.

Right now, it seems that Ange was the right choice and he is handling his role beautifully. I’m happy to take my L with a big plate of crow because the man has me ready to run through a wall for him.

Late Wednesday, the writer’s room was reading up on the Kane saga and it felt like things had fallen apart. The group of us were mentally prepared to move on and to see the deal fade because what looked to be hardline negotiations by Levy was maddening.

Instead, Levy played his hand in a masterclass. The initial offer that Bayern Munich offered was a paltry £60m, which was swiftly rejected. Bayern journalists wrote some very odd pieces that amounted to “Tottenham should just sell him and free him from his cage” like he was a political prisoner. We now know that Kane was more or less kept in the loop and his camp kept quiet while the negotiations went on. Levy reportedly offered the house to Kane in a final effort to convince him to stay and be a one club player. Kane politely declined and the writing was on the wall.

This time, the chairman was ready to sell. It felt like with the City interest he had no desire to let Tottenham’s talisman head north to a Sky Six rival. For Bayern Munich, this was probably the best case scenario.

Despite some last minute Daniel Levy “I’m going to alter the deal” moments, Levy seemed in control and handled things well. There are still plenty of things to be mad at him for, but if this was always the endgame? He handled it as best he could.

It’s time to let Ange cook.

Our new boss is saying all the right things and made it clear today that he figured this was the path the club was going. He was on board with it as he had his own plans. If the winds changed and Kane suddenly decided to commit? Fantastic.

Daniel Levy’s next move is to tell everyone to get behind Ange, and he needs to walk the walk on that. Bringing in James Maddison and Micky Van de Ven is a start, but this club definitely has more holes to fill. Granted, Spurs have a ton of deadweight that needs to be shifted with only three weeks left in the window. It might not be possible to shift everyone out, but maximizing those deals and bringing in younger talent will go a long way in supporting New Dad.

Ange has shown us what his style is, and f*ck me if it isn’t fun as sh*t to watch. This is the most excited I’ve been to watch a squad since before Jose Mourinho came into this club and made me hate my existence. It also helps that Ange isn’t miserable and is easy to listen to.

There are going to be growing pains. We all know this, and this season could be a hell of a roller coaster as this club enters its first season without Kane leading the line. Levy getting behind Ange is the best possible thing he can do. I’m not naive though: We do not have unlimited funds, and I’m not expecting us to make an insane run at someone like Victor Osimhen. That being said, getting a young, talented striker like Gift Orban for the future certainly wouldn’t hurt. There’s also Edmond Tapsoba waiting to be plucked out of Bayer Leverkusen.

Keep strengthening the squad and let’s see if Ange can do it at the highest level.

It is okay to mourn, and nobody should mock you for it.

I wholeheartedly disagree with anyone who says we were wrong to sell Harry Kane. This felt like the right time and Spurs got paid a handsome fee.

What I will not tell someone is they can’t be sad or upset about this, and if anyone gives you sh*t for being upset regarding Kane being sold? Tell them off, especially if it’s a supporter of another club.

We all know that players come and go, but I completely understand why this one hurts: It’s the local kid who came up from the academy, went through loan spells, and at a time when his club needed a striker the most he burst onto the scene and went gangbusters. He became a clinical finisher that you just knew would find a way to score in a match that seemed lost.

It always hits differently when it’s someone who grew up in the area doing it for the club you love. This one hits harder than losing Gareth Bale did, especially since it ended in similar fashion.

Sunday is going to be extremely weird. It isn’t a situation like City where Kane is hanging around trying to move away for a new challenge or he’s out with a knock.

Harry Kane is gone.

It will still feel weird typing that sentence.