Bayern Munich wants to finalize the signing of Harry Kane before the DFL Super Cup against Leipzig.
Munich are having an active transfer window this summer. After narrowly winning the German Bundesliga last season, the Bavarians were far from satisfied with their exit from the Pokal and UEFA Champions League (UCL). As a result, they are actively looking to fill in the gaps to rebound next season.
For now, it’s more selling than buying. Kim Min-jae was brought in to bolster the center-back depth and Konrad Reimer and Rafael Guerrero were brought in, but Luca Hernandez, Sadio Mane, Marcel Xavier, and Daley Blind left the team.
The departure of Mane is particularly noteworthy. He came in as Robert Lewandowski’s replacement, so he had some important shoes to fill. Selling what could be called a ‘main’ striker, albeit one who struggled last season, means that Munich are ‘definitely’ looking to sign his replacement.
There is a frontrunner. The main man is Tottenham Hotspur’s Kane. He was the best striker of the 2010s, and in recent years, he’s been at the top of his game as a ‘playmaker’. He’s a living legend at Tottenham and leads the team in goals every season. At his peak, he formed one of the best attacking combinations in the world with Son Heung-min, Christian Eriksen, and Dele Alli. In 2022-23, when Tottenham’s offense struggled, Kane was still able to step up and score 30 league goals.
His personal career has been nothing short of spectacular. He’s been a top scorer in several competitions, including the English Premier League (EPL). He won the Golden Boot at the 2018 World Cup in Russia, proving that he is equally at home on the international stage. He passed Jimmy Greaves to become Tottenham’s all-time leading scorer and is second on the EPL’s all-time goals list behind Alan Shearer.
But he’s never won a trophy. He hasn’t lifted a single major trophy during his time at Tottenham. League, let alone Europe. He hasn’t even seen a trophy in domestic cup competitions. Second in the league and runner-up in the UCL. The chances were there, but they all fell short.
In 2021, Manchester City actively pursued the player, but due to the stubbornness of Daniel Levy, the club withdrew their interest in Kane.
Of course, interest in the player hasn’t stopped since then. This summer, he was linked with Manchester United, Newcastle United, Real Madrid, and Paris Saint-Germain (PSG).
United were the favorites. Having failed to find a suitable replacement for Cristiano Ronaldo, the Red Devils saw Kane as the right man for the job. However, Levy was adamant that the club would not sell its ace to a rival in the same league. Eventually, United withdrew their interest after realizing that they would not be able to convince Levy.
Real then emerged as the favorite. The sudden departure of Karim Benzema had left a hole in their attack and they wanted to fill it with Kane. They were prepared to make a huge offer, but the amount Levy demanded was beyond their means. As a result, Real pulled out of the race for Kane.
Where Man United and Real left off, Munich filled the void. They were aggressive in their pursuit. Unlike United and Real, they made a formal offer. As we mentioned, Mane’s departure intensified the interest in Kane.
Kane also wanted to move to Munich. Tottenham offered Kane a new contract, but he didn’t accept. “Kane will not sign a new contract with Tottenham and is still keen on a move to Munich,” Gary Jacob of the British publication The Times wrote on his social media account on March 20.
Confident in Kane’s attitude, Munich wanted to push the situation further in their favor and set up a third meeting with Tottenham. “The Munich board will meet with Levy to discuss the signing of Kane,” European football transfer market expert Fabrizio Romano wrote on social media on March 28. The scheduled date of the meeting is Friday.” The plan was to have a final discussion about the signing of Kane during this meeting.
However, it was rescheduled. It was due to Levy’s schedule. Of course, the Munich officials were happy to oblige Tottenham’s request, and a third meeting will take place soon. According to German outlet Bild, CEO Jan Christian Dresden and squad planner Marco Neppe were spotted boarding a private plane at a private airport west of the city of Munich and were headed to London to hold talks with Tottenham.
Munich plans to increase the offer. Florian Plettenberg, a reporter for Germany’s Sky Sports, believes that the Bavarians will increase their offer. On February 2, he wrote on his social media account, “Munich will offer €95 million. If the deal goes through, he will become Munich’s highest paid player. The contract runs until 2028. There is no specific date yet for the talks between Munich and Levy, but both parties are confident of reaching an agreement.”
Munich wants to finalize the deal before the 13th. There’s a reason for that. The EPL kicks off around the 13th. “If the transfer is not finalized by the EPL opener, Kane will remain at Tottenham,” Bild reported. The 13th is also the day Munich plays Leipzig in the DFL Super Cup. They are hoping that Kane will come to Munich before then to play his first official game 안전놀이터.