Harry Kane's £54m next transfer big decision should be obvious amid growing Tottenham and Man United interest
Thomas Frank has opened the door for Harry Kane to return to Tottenham - but is it the best decision he can make?
"There are a lot of Tottenham fans, including myself who would like to see (Harry) Kane back.” - Those were the words of current Tottenham Hotspur boss Thomas Frank, who boldly added fuel to speculation linking the club's all-time top goalscorer with a sensational homecoming. Frank’s words came amid reports from Sky Sports which suggest Kane has a release clause in his Bayern Munich contract, which would have allowed him to leave for £67m in January 2025.
This release clause, which would have essentially allowed clubs to enter into direct negotiations with the player, notably drops down to £54m in January 2026, making the signing of even more of a bargain than before. To put this into context, this fee is in the region as what Newcastle United paid for Yoane Wissa and nearly £10m less than what Spurs signed Dominic Solanke for. Look away now Man United fans - it’s also £18m cheaper than Rasmus Hojlund and £20m less than Benjamin Sesko.
It’s pretty hard to blame Frank for his candid comments. After all, Kane has been and remains a world-class striker. He’s one of only three or four of this calibre in world football at the moment alongside Manchester City’s Erling Haaland, Barcelona’s Robert Lewandowski and Real Madrid’s Kylian Mbappe - and has shown no signs of slowing down since making his move to the Bundesliga.In fact, based on his recent numbers, he’s speeding up.
Harry Kane’s record-breaking stint in Germany shows he’s still got it
Kane joined Bayern Munich in 2023 for £100m, ending a 19-year-association with Tottenham which had seen him make 435 appearances while scoring 280 to surpass the late Jimmy Greaves.
At the time of his exit, he had just enjoyed his most prolific league season to date, scoring 30 times in a single Premier League season for the first time. But he has now taken his game to new heights. Overall, he’s scored a staggering 98 goals in 103 appearances across all competitions for Bayern, and 70 times in 67 matches when solely focusing on league appearances. It is a new league record.
The striker also became the first player in Bundesliga history to convert the first 17 penalties of his career, while if he can score two or more in his next match against Werder Bremen, he’ll also eclipse Cristiano Ronaldo’s record of being the fastest player to get 100 goals for a club in one of Europe’s top five leagues. Ronaldo did it in 105 matches when he first moved to Real Madrid, with Erling Haaland later equalling that feat at Manchester City.
Kane finally ended his long wait for silverware by winning a league title with Vincent Kompany’s side last term, while also getting his hands on the German Super Cup. He’ll have ambitions of getting his hands on the Champions League next before chasing the greatest prize of them all at next summer’s World Cup, with a manager he knows well in Thomas Tuchel.
Would Harry Kane consider a return to the Premier League?
Kane has proven himself as an elite striker in German football and has finally ended his long wait for silverware. He’s started this season on fire with 13 goals in eight matches and seems to be committed to Bayern at this point. The Sky Sports News report claims Kane is happy at Bayern and has no thoughts of activating the clause anytime soon, but it’s worth noting that Tottenham have an emotional connection that they can try and use to appeal to Kane, whether that’s next winter or later down the line.
Manchester United, likewise, have been linked with Kane. They are in the process of a real rebuild after a 15th placed finish and are looking for a forward that can catapult them back to the glory days of old.
At this moment in time, they represent the most realistic two options for a return to England. Manchester City already have Erling Haaland, a move to Arsenal would tarnish his reputation at Tottenham, and Liverpool now have two strikers in Hugo Ekitike and Alexander Isak.
Newcastle United are a slight left field option that could potentially show an interest. They have funds in the bank after losing Isak for a British record fee and according to Telegraph reporter Luke Edwards are weighing up the idea of using blockbuster signing Nick Woltemade as a central No.10 long-term and hope to sign another striker to compete with Yoane Wissa and William Osula.
However, when it comes to Kane and the possibility of returning to England, the only obvious option seems to be Tottenham. He’s viewed as arguably the best player in the club’s history, is their top scorer, former club captain and someone that simply lives and breathes that football club.
Crucially, Spurs are also thought to have first option to buy Kane. This means if Bayern accept a bid or a release clause is met, then the Lilywhites have the option to match it. It is then up to Kane to decide. The first option does not guarantee a Spurs return but it does give them an advantage as they have the chance to put an offer in front of him. Before his departure earlier this month, former chairman Daniel Levy confirmed the first option arrangement.
Kane is only 47 Premier League goals behind Alan Shearer and, at 32, has time on his side. He may well relish the opportunity to achieve that record with his ‘last dance’ in North London at some point in the future.