Harry Kane has a career-defining decision to make.
The England captain must choose whether to stay at Tottenham Hotspur, the English team where he has been since 2004, or move to German giants Bayern Munich.
The clubs reportedly have reached an agreement regarding the transfer of Kane — for a deal worth more than 100 million euros ($110 million) — and now it is over to the striker to decide.
But while it may seem that Kane has an offer that is extremely difficult to reject, buzz is that the 30-year-old is leaning towards Spurs and might reject Bayern’s offer.
Kane is said to be impressed with the start to life under new Spurs head coach Ange Postecoglou.
Sky Sports News tweeted, “Sky Sports News has been told it’s increasingly likely Harry Kane will STAY at Tottenham.”
Similar news surfaced from the German side as well. Florian Plettenberg, the German journalist who has been reporting on Kane’s transfer saga, tweeted: “I can confirm that Harry #Kane is actually hesitating and FC Bayern is aware of it - Despite the verbal agreement with Bayern. Despite the agreement in principle between Bayern and Tottenham.” According to Plettenberg, it’s a “50-50 decision” for Kane.
Neither club, however, commented officially about reaching an agreement for Kane. Tottenham had previously said Kane wasn’t for sale, but have held talks with Bayern in recent weeks.
Kane, who is the second-highest scoring player in Premier League history with 213 goals, is entering the last year of his contract at Spurs and can leave as a free agent in 2024. It puts pressure on Tottenham to sell him this summer if the club is to get any money for its star player.
Kane reached the Champions League final with Tottenham in 2019. However, he has never lifted a major trophy at the club and the team’s progress has stalled. An eighth-place finish in the Premier League last season meant Tottenham failed to qualify for European competition.
The three-time Premier League top scorer could be the key to revitalising Bayern, who lacked a focused goal-scoring threat through the centre last season after Robert Lewandowski left for Barcelona.
Bayern needed goal-difference to beat Borussia Dortmund to the German title on the final day of a turbulent season in which their top Bundesliga scorer was Serge Gnabry with 14 goals. Two years ago, Lewandowski scored a record 41 goals.
However, there will be pressure to succeed immediately. Bayern’s last high-profile signing from the Premier League, Sadio Mané, was widely considered a flop after his arrival from Liverpool a year ago.
Mané’s departure for Saudi Arabia’s Al-Nassr and the sale of defender Lucas Hernández to Paris Saint-Germain helped to free up funds to sign Kane.
English players are generally reluctant to leave the riches of the Premier League.
No permanent England captain has played for a club outside England since David Beckham at Real Madrid in 2006. England’s squad for their most recent games was entirely Premier League-based after Real Madrid midfielder Jude Bellingham withdrew injured.
With inputs from AP/PTI
