Harry Kane said Tottenham “should be winning trophies” and not settling for a top-four finish in the Premier League after they crashed out of the Champions League. Spurs drew 0-0 with AC Milan at home on Wednesday to lose their last-16 tie 1-0 on aggregate.
That followed a dismal FA Cup defeat to Championship side Sheffield United and a loss at Wolves that weakened Tottenham’s grip on fourth place in the Premier League. Defeat against Milan ensured Tottenham will complete a 15th season without silverware.
Kane, who broke the club’s all-time goalscoring record earlier this season, was adamant that Spurs need to be doing more than just challenging for the top four, which ensures qualification for the Champions League. The 29-year-old England captain is out of contract at the end of next season and realistically has one last chance to sign for an elite club that will guarantee him the chance to win regular trophies.
Asked whether a top-four finish is enough, Kane said: “I don’t think so. Where we’re at as a club, we should be winning trophies. That’s always the aim. The top four (being our only target) is a consequence of not playing as well as we want to play. Now that’s all we can fight for so that’s going to be the goal and hopefully we can achieve that come the end of the season. But for sure, it’s not enough for this club.”
Kane said the FA Cup defeat to Sheffield United had “put a dagger in our hearts”, halting their momentum. Spurs’ meek exit from Europe could speed up Antonio Conte’s expected departure from the club – the Italian is out of contract at the end of this season.
But Kane said all the players could do was give 100 percent for their manager. “That’s his decision, he’s going to be the one that makes that choice,” said the forward. “All we can do as players is try to perform for him, work as hard as we can.
“That’s what we’re doing. I said after the Wolves game at the weekend, you can’t fault the effort of the players. We’re trying, we’re training but we’re just lacking something. We’ve talked about mentality before and that ruthless hunger to be better, to be the best, to be one of the best teams in Europe. We just haven’t quite found that yet.”

Conte nears exit door
Conte was back on the touchline on Wednesday after recovering from gallbladder surgery but upbeat pre-game talk about infusing his players with energy came to nothing. The club’s long-suffering fans are now coming to terms with a 15th straight season without a trophy.
The atmosphere at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium turned toxic, with the home fans angrily voicing their disapproval at full-time. The result capped a disastrous seven days for Spurs, who exited the FA Cup last week away to second-tier Sheffield United and lost at Wolves on Saturday. Those results, along with Conte’s health problems, have led to mounting speculation that the Italian’s tenure is coming to an end.
The 53-year-old, whose contract runs out at the end of the season, was cagey over his immediate future after the Milan defeat but admitted the club could sack him. “This is not the right day to speak about the future but I have a contract with Tottenham and Tottenham know very well my thoughts and at the end of the season we will meet and make a decision,” Conte said.
“I have a great relationship with my chairman (Daniel Levy), with Fabio Paratici (director of football), but it doesn’t mean I don’t tell them which is my vision, you understand? Then we will see. Now we have to finish the season. I have a contract until June. I am happy to work in Tottenham but at the end will make a decision.”
Conte walked through the door at Spurs in November 2021 as a serial winner at Juventus, Chelsea and Inter Milan. But his pragmatic approach has been criticised by fans who are not prepared to compromise on the club’s attacking traditions. Conte has indicated unhappiness at Tottenham’s transfer dealings, while repeatedly making it clear he believes it is unrealistic to expect his side to compete with their big-spending Premier League rivals.
The Italian has often talked of the need to build the foundations of the club and again appealed for patience from supporters on Wednesday. “I understand for the fans, they don’t have patience because for a long time Tottenham is not winning but what I can promise is we continue to work really hard for this club to continue to improve and then we see what will happen,” he said.
As well as a frustrating time on the pitch, Conte has faced an emotionally challenging few months off it. His friend and Spurs fitness coach Gian Piero Ventrone died in October and he lost his former Juventus teammate Gianluca Vialli earlier this year. That was followed weeks later by his own bout of poor health. Conte had to have his gallbladder removed and subsequently missed five matches across two spells of recovery. Spurs still have a place in next season’s Champions League to play for but that looks fraught with difficulties.
They are fourth in the Premier League but a rejuvenated Liverpool are just three points behind them with a game in hand.
Do Spurs stick with Conte in the hope he will haul them over the line or do they sack him and hope a new manager can revitalise their push for the top four? Club bosses have a huge call to make and time is not on their side.