Journalist Darren Lewis has warned that Tottenham Hotspur could lose Harry Kane in the summer if they can't improve the squad enough over the next two weeks before the January transfer market shuts.

What’s the word?

It's fair to say the mood as Spurs is not great right now. Indeed, defeat in the north London derby has seen them left five points cut adrift from the top four in the Premier League.

What's more, manager Antonio Conte has made it clear he expects transfers but it remains to be seen just how much Daniel Levy will back him this winter.

While speaking about it all on the Last Word on Spurs podcast, Lewis claimed that the Italian manager could leave at the end of the season as a result and he warned that Tottenham would then find it pretty hard to keep hold of Kane if Manchester United came in with an offer.

He explained: "And the other thing is, if he [Conte] does leave, then you do have to worry about Son, you do have to worry about Kane, you do have to worry about Bayern, you do have to worry about clubs like Manchester United.

"They've got [Wout] Weghorst on loan. But in the summer when Weghorst goes back, if Manchester United say we're back in the Champions League, we're a striker away from competing for the title, come and join us. What does a Tottenham - who don't have the capability, the squad, at that point, to compete for the title - say to Harry Kane?

"How do you keep him, given he hasn't signed a new contract and his current deal is running down? So it's a very, very worrying time, as far as the next two weeks are concerned."

From bad to worse?

Seeing as Conte's contract expires in the summer, there is no guarantee that he will commit his future to the north London outfit should the club fail to back him this January.

If he leaves with Spurs having failed to finish inside the top four, Kane and others will certainly take some time to consider their futures as Tottenham players.

A recent report in 90min claims that Man United are the one English team who could potentially move for the Englishman with his contract set to expire in 2024 and talks still unresolved over a renewal.

Considering Spurs' recent trajectory compared to the Red Devils – who are now possible in the title race – it's easy to see why a move could be tempting for Kane at the end of the season.