The German media have apologised to Harry Kane after criticising Bayern Munich’s decision to splash out £95million on him in the summer of 2023.
England’s record goal-scorer has been nothing short of sensational since making the move to Bavaria from Tottenham Hotspur.
He’s scored an incredible 98 goals in just 103 appearances while also registering 29 assists. As was well-known in England, Kane’s much more than just a poacher.
Yet when Bayern signed the forward from Spurs – where he’d bagged 280 goals in 435 games – there were a host of sceptics in the German media who doubted whether Kane was worth close to £100m.
One of those was BILD’s Alfred Draxler who, today, has issued an apology to Kane for criticising the German champions’ decision to break the bank for him.
It came after the forward, who’s scored eight goals in four Bundesliga appearances this term, netted a hat-trick in his side’s dominant 4-1 victory over Hoffenheim on Saturday.
A German journalist has publicly apologised to Harry Kane after criticising Bayern Munich’s decision to sign him
The England No 9 bagged another hat-trick in Bayern’s win over Hoffenheim on Saturday
That’s 5 goals in just four days for Kane, who also scored two in midweek against Chelsea
The German journalist wrote: ‘I was one of those who viewed the €100m transfer from Tottenham to Bayern Munich in 2023 rather critically.
‘I thought: too much money for a then 30-year-old who had never won a title. There are cheaper options. Niclas Fullkrug, for example, had scored 16 goals for Werder Bremen the previous season.
‘He’s [Kane’s] never injured! That’s not just luck. It speaks volume about strict discipline and hard training.
‘I don’t think Harry Kane is vacationing in a hotel where you have to reserve your lounger in the morning. If I ever meet him, I’d get up really early and put a towel on his lounger for him. I wouldn’t do that for any English person!’
Kane still has two years left at Bayern Munich with his current deal coming to an end after the 2026-27 season.
It’s thought the Bundesliga champions are currently weighing up whether or not to extent his contract, which is finished when Kane will be almost 34.
Bayern have brought in another striker with Nicolas Jackson joining on loan from Chelsea, the club having an obligation to buy next summer.
And Raphael Honigstein believes the idea is for Jackson to be Kane’s eventual successor, which could pave the way for him to return to the Premier League.
Kane’s contract with the German champions is up at the end of the 2027 season, when he’ll be almost 34
Kane sits second in the list of the Premier League’s all-time leading goalscorers with 213
Speaking to talkSPORT, he said: ‘It’s no big secret that people in Germany don’t expect Harry Kane to see out his career at Bayern.
‘I think Bayern are braced for the possibility that he will leave slightly earlier than his contract, which runs until 2027.
‘One way or the other, he and the club need to take a view on this fairly soon.
‘They were pushing for somebody who can both be a backup and an understudy for Kane. They looked at [Benjamin] Sesko. They looked at [Nick] Woltemade – they ended up with Jackson, with an obligation to buy.
‘This suggests Bayern are aware of the possibility that Kane might go in a year or two.
‘But at the same time, he’s so good that anyone who comes in has to play around him.
‘There is absolutely no chance that Jackson will displace Kane. He will have to play alongside him, ahead of him or give Kane a rest in a game or two.
‘But he is very much there to be his eventual successor, but we are still quite far off that.’
Kane sits second in the list of the Premier League’s all-time leading goalscorers with 213.
He needs another 48 in the top flight to surpass leader Alan Shearer and the prospect of potentially achieving that will surely be weighing on his mind.
