Luis Figo, Ronaldinho Discuss Harry Kane, Pressure at Real Madrid

Luis Figo has warned Harry Kane about the pressure of playing at Real Madrid, amid rumours the Tottenham Hotspur striker could move to Los Blancos, per James Benge of the London Evening Standard. 

Former Real ace Figo has preached caution, but ex-Barcelona star Ronaldinho believes Kane could "walk into any team in Europe," including Los Merengues or Manchester City, per the Daily Mirror's Adrian Kajumba.

Figo talked up both Kane and Dele Alli, per Benge, labelling them "top players." However, the man who moved from Barca to Real for a then-world record fee in 2000 also spelled out the differences between life at Tottenham and a career at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium.

The 45-year-old said it is "one thing is to play for Tottenham and the other thing is to play for Real Madrid, you know? And this is not missing of respect of Tottenham. It is what is like. Real Madrid is different, eh?"

Getting more specific, Figo emphasised the higher stakes at Real: "In terms of pressure… because it’s a lot of pressure too. Of course Kane is fantastic and Dele Alli too and I love to see them play and they’re doing fantastic."

Figo, who won the UEFA Champions League in 2002 as a member of Los Blancos, concluded by casting doubt over whether Spurs would sell either Kane or Alli.

However, former Real president Ramon Calderon recently said it is his former club's "goal" to sign Kane, according to Samuel Lovett of The Independent.

Figo is right about the difference in pressure between Real and almost every other club on the continent. After all, Los Merengues have won Europe's top club prize 12 times, claiming six European Cups and as many Champions League titles.

It is a basic requirement for Real to win major trophies while playing entertaining football.

By contrast, Spurs have not won a league title since 1961, while their last trophy was the 2008 League cup.

Manager Mauricio Pochettino recently said managing the north London side is a process, "more than winning a title," per BBC Sport.

The expectations would be much higher for Kane in the Spanish capital, but Ronaldinho says the prolific England international would handle it. The Brazilian, who tormented Real for years and won the Champions League in 2006, said Kane "is now at the level where any team in the world would want him," per Kajumba.

Ronaldinho named Real, Barca and Premier League leaders City as clubs who would covet Kane, but like Figo, he also described the difference in pressure:

"With all respect they do not have the pressure or expectation on them yet in the competition that say Barcelona, Madrid, or Bayern do and that could work for them.

"They don't have the pressure on them to do it but they have the players to be able to win it - anything is possible."

What is clear is how much Kane's stock is growing. He's already hit 35 goals this season, convincing some of the legends of the game he can reach even greater heights, a challenge perhaps dependent on Kane moving to a giant like Real sooner rather than later.

from Bleacher Report - Front Page http://ift.tt/2F0EZ1A