It’s official, folks: Harry Kane is off to Germany.
England’s captain this morning joined Bayern Munich for an initial £86.4 million. The 30-year-old will sign a four-year contract. The Germans are understandably excited. In the UK, though, most football fans were left scratching their heads. Bayern Munich? Why?
Kane could have gone to Saudi Arabia and played alongside the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Sadio Mane
Some will say they’re a club with a loyal fanbase and a strong history. Yes, but the same can be said of Leeds United and Celtic, so don’t pull that card. If this were the year 2000, Kane’s move would make complete sense. But this is 2023, a time when no one outside of Germany really cares about the Bundesliga – and for good reason. It’s a rubbish league that hasn’t been relevant for decades.
Kane could have taken a leaf out of Messi’s book and headed to Major League Soccer. Sure, the quality of football isn’t great there. But it would have been an interesting move. Or, if he was feeling particularly adventurous, Kane could have gone to Saudi Arabia and played alongside the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Sadio Mane. Imagine that front three. Again, at least that would have been interesting. Kane would have made history as the first person to score 200 goals in one season.
Alas, though, he’s off to Munich, where he will at least get the chance to play Champions League football. But he won’t win the Champions League with Bayern. That’s because the Germans are not Champions League contenders. They haven’t been for many years.
Kane is not going to win any trophies of significance during his time in Germany. Again, just as very few care about the Bundesliga, very few care if Kane lifts the Meisterschale. Kane probably isn’t that pushed either. Going to Bayern Munich and not winning the Bundesliga is, of course, unthinkable. That doesn’t mean it’s unlikely. Last season, Bayern won the league on the final day of the season, after a late 2-1 win at Cologne. Up until that last-gasp goal, Borussia Dortmund looked likely to be crowned champions.
But, others will say, Harry had no choice. At least he will win something in Germany. If he stayed at Spurs, his trophy cabinet would remain trophyless. Playing for Bayern is, on the whole, probably better than playing for Spurs, an utter shambles of a club. Keep an eye out for the way in which they attempt to ‘reinvest’ the money from Kane’s sale. The last time they sold a big name player (Gareth Bale to Real Madrid), they tried to replace the Welshman with a handful of bang-average players. Let’s see if they make the same mistake again (it’s Spurs, don’t bet against it).
However, Kane, who will wear the No. 9 shirt at Bayern, only had 12 months left on his Spurs contract. He could have run it down and had his pick of any major club in Europe: PSG, Real, Barca, you name it. As anyone with even the mildest interest in football knows, Harry Kane is a supreme talent. What club wouldn’t want him as their frontman? Instead, arguably England’s greatest-ever striker chose to satisfy his impatience and play in a league that generates very little excitement.
Harry Kane has committed the equivalent of career harakiri. I, for one, feel thoroughly underwhelmed by the move. If Harry is being brutally honest, he probably does too.
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