Mourinho: Kane and Tottenham need titles to get to the next level

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The Portuguese is confident that the striker will remain at the club come what may, while he wants to see Dele Alli return to his old self
Jose Mourinho has pledged to lead Tottenham to the type of titles that will earn Harry Kane the recognition he deserves.

Having taken over in north London from the sacked Mauricio Pochettino earlier this week, the Portuguese is limbering up for his first match in charge of Spurs, which is a London derby against West Ham on Saturday.

Last season’s Champions League runners-up currently lie 14th in the Premier League standings, but Mourinho has promised to elevate the level of the club so that they are challenging for trophies and will be able to keep players such as Kane, who has been regularly linked to clubs such as Chelsea, Manchester United and Real Madrid over the years.

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“This is not about me. This is about Mr Levy and the club,” Mourinho said of chairman Daniel Levy. “He has a vision and part of that is to make the club better and bigger. There is no better and bigger club without a better and bigger team. So, to keep the best players is obviously part of that plan.

“It was not like a promise to me. It was part of his explanation about his vision. Without being specific about players he told me he does not sell players when the manager doesn't want to sell.”

Indeed, the former Madrid boss described it as “an impossible mission” for teams covetous of Kane to lure him away from the club.

“He's one of the best strikers in the world, no doubt,” he added. “He just needs his team with him, if his team is England or Tottenham, to bring him or to go with him to the next level.

“And what is the next level? Titles. I think he needs to win. He needs to bring something to highlight his quality, the goals he scores, what he brings to the team. He is a top striker and I've worked with some of the top ones.”

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Meanwhile, he wants to see Dele Alli rediscover his best form and revealed he has already held talks with the out-of-sorts England midfielder.

“I have spoken with him and asked if he was Dele or Dele's brother,” he said. “He told me he was Dele. ‘OK,’ I said, ‘play like Dele’. He is potentially a fantastic player.

“I have to create a tactical situation he is happy with, give him the right dynamics and prepare him physically because he has had important injuries and he is not on the top of his form.

“'I cannot expect him to go to West Ham — if he plays — and be man of the match. But he needs to go through a process to bring the real Dele back because the real Dele is the one who has impressed us all.”

Meanwhile, he said he will not change too much with the team’s set up.

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“I'm not going to try to be Einstein,” he said. “I'm going to try to make the players play the way I want. Offensive football but winning matches.

“Not offensive football and don't win a match for 10 or 11 months. But, yes, attacking football. You are not going to see Harry Kane playing at left-back that is for sure.”

After West Ham, Mourinho’s side host Olympiacos in the Champions League on Tuesday – his first match in charge at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.