Harry Kane left Tottenham for Bayern Munich in 2023 in search of what had been missing from his CV: collective success. He had grown with Mauricio Pochettino’s exciting Lilywhites, became Spurs’ all-time record goalscorer in early 2023 and, six weeks later, surpassed Wayne Rooney’s England total with a penalty in Rome. The move addressed a stark truth: he was finished with rebuilds and wanted a guarantee of silverware at a club that had won 11 consecutive Bundesliga titles entering 2023–24.

Kane’s admiration for Tom Brady is well-documented. He watched Brady’s greatest moments, witnessed the 2017 Super Bowl comeback and was in Atlanta for the Patriots’ sixth Super Bowl success two years later. Until Munich, Kane had too often existed as a near-miss operator on the biggest stages, a narrative crystallised by his missed penalty in the 2022 World Cup quarterfinal against France and by finals lost with Tottenham in domestic and European competitions.

The move to Bayern did not immediately erase doubts. Xabi Alonso’s Bayer Leverkusen produced a historic campaign that denied Bayern trophies and left Die Roten with their first trophy-less season since 2011–12, reinforcing the harsh notion that Kane was a “loser” who might never fill the void on his résumé. Even so, Kane finished the season with the European Golden Shoe after scoring 36 Bundesliga goals.

Vincent Kompany’s arrival has coincided with a resurgence at Bayern and with Kane finding new consistency. His third year in Munich is tracking as his most productive, and he reached 100 goals for Bayern faster than anybody for one club in Europe’s top five leagues since 1992. Robert Lewandowski’s single-season Bundesliga record is now a clear target. Kane has also earned comparisons to a “quarterback” from compatriot Anthony Gordon.

At 32, Kane faces a choice. He remains 47 goals short of Alan Shearer’s Premier League record, yet reports of a Bayern release clause and his admitted initial intent to return to the Premier League have been softened by life in southern Germany. By sustaining dominance at a supergiant and adding major trophies, Kane can transform a career of exceptional goalscoring into one defined equally by silverware.

Bayern Munich face a serious negotiation impasse with Dayot Upamecano as the defender weighs his options ahead of free agency. Club officials have publicly stated a desire to keep him, but recent suggestions of progress were dismissed by Christian Falk.

According to reporting, a basic agreement on salary exists but the dispute centres on a signing-on payment. Alphonso Davies is reported to have received close to €20 million (£17.4 million, $23.2 million) to turn down Real Madrid and extend last year, and Upamecano is seeking a comparable package. The gap between the parties is described as “very, very big”, and Bayern are unlikely to match the terms a player could command on a free transfer.

Florian Plettenberg says Upamecano will not lower his demands and has made it clear he would happily walk away next summer if the club will not meet his conditions. “Top clubs” are already moving, with Liverpool specifically named by German reporters and Fabrizio Romano listing Liverpool alongside Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain as potential suitors.

Interest from those clubs has reportedly been formalised with Upamecano’s representatives. The France international remains settled in Munich and would be prepared to sign an extension if his demands were satisfied, but he is free to discuss overseas moves from January.

The situation also sits within a wider market context: Upamecano and Ibrahima Konaté, former teammates at RB Leipzig, are among several central defenders attracting attention, and Crystal Palace’s Marc Guéhi is named as another figure of interest to much of Europe’s elite, including both Liverpool and Madrid. Players who leave on free transfers commonly receive substantial signing-on fees, reflecting the ability of buying clubs to reallocate funds saved by not paying a transfer fee.

Harry Kane has signalled that a longer stay at Bayern Munich is a real possibility, saying his appetite to return to the Premier League has reduced since his move. The striker left Spurs 47 goals short of Alan Shearer’s total of 260, and his Bayern contract included a release clause that fed speculation about a future return. Former employers Spurs and long-term admirers Manchester United were linked as potential suitors, but Kane has cooled talk of leaving Bayern.

“In terms of staying longer, I could definitely see that,” Kane said of his time with Bayern. “I have not had those conversations with Bayern yet but if they were to arise I would be willing to talk and have an honest conversation. Obviously it depends on how the next year or so goes, what we achieve together. We are in a fantastic moment and I am not thinking about anything else.

“In terms of the Premier League , I don’t know. If you had asked me when I first left to go to Bayern, I would have said for sure I would come back. Now I have been there a couple of years I would probably say that has gone down a little bit, but I wouldn’t say I would never go back.

“I am fully all in with Bayern . If there was a conversation about extending then we will see, but I have still got this season and another season. It is not like I am in my last year, it is not like there is any panic. I am calm, I love the manager at Bayern and as long we are improving and I am improving then I am happy to see what we can achieve.”

Kane, now 32, said winning his first trophy did not dent his drive. “When you win a title maybe it could be easy to go the other way and be like, ‘OK, I’ve done what I wanted to achieve,’” Kane continued. “But it’s given me motivation to do more.

“My numbers are 11km a game, a lot of high‑speed running. Sometimes when I’m watching the games back, I’m more looking forward to watching tackles or one of my defensive actions than watching my goals back. I don’t know if that means I’m getting a little bit bored of my goals or I like the tackling part as well but it’s been enjoyable.

“I was interested in how I would feel after winning a trophy. It could have been easy to be a bit more relaxed. I pushed myself the other way, being even better, eating even cleaner, doing more gym. I do eat clean anyway. It’s just whether the cheat meals after games are not so much, or when you’re out with the family not having as much ice cream. Small details, but at the highest level those make a big difference.”

His form underlines that stance: 18 goals in 10 games this season and a record for the fewest games to reach 100 goals for one club in Europe’s top divisions, a mark previously held by Cristiano Ronaldo and Erling Haaland.