A crucial meeting between Tottenham and Bayern Munich officials in London on Monday failed to bridge the substantial gap in Harry Kane’s valuation. While talks extended into the afternoon, the difference, estimated to be at least £20m, remains a sticking point.
Bayern has expressed willingness to offer a maximum of €100m (£85.7m) for the prolific striker, consisting of €90m (£77.1m) upfront with an additional €10m (£8.7m) in potential add-ons. However, Tottenham stands firm on their asking price, demanding at least £100m for their all-time leading goalscorer. Despite the ongoing negotiations, Kane is said to be open to formally discussing a move to Bayern if the two clubs can reach an agreement.
In the event of a transfer, Tottenham is insistent on including a buy-back clause, allowing them the option to bring Kane back to the Premier League in the future.
Notably, securing Kane would likely necessitate Bayern Munich breaking their current transfer record of €80m (£68.5m), set when they acquired Lucas Hernandez from Atletico Madrid in 2019.
Key figures from Bayern, including chief executive Jan-Christian Dreesen and technical director Marco Neppe, arrived in England after flying from Munich to attend the meeting. The initial plan for the clubs to meet last week had been rescheduled, but discussions regarding the England captain’s future have remained ongoing.
Bayern Munich is reportedly convinced that Kane is eager to join their ranks. In contrast, Kane has declined to sign a contract extension with Tottenham this summer, indicating a preference for a move to Bayern over other interested parties.
Paris Saint-Germain, the reigning French champions, believe they are also contenders for Kane’s signature if Tottenham eventually decides to sell. However, PSG has no intention of engaging in a bidding war.
For Tottenham, the situation presents a risk of holding onto Kane beyond this transfer window and potentially losing a world-class striker on a free transfer next summer, potentially to a domestic rival. Consequently, Spurs are actively exploring options with interested foreign clubs.
Should the negotiations with Bayern fall through, and Kane remains at Tottenham, the English forward is expected to remain focused on his football. However, Spurs chairman Daniel Levy faces the gamble of whether he can build a side capable of challenging for trophies to convince Kane to extend his contract later in the season. Otherwise, Kane will have an array of potential suitors both at home and abroad.
