When Kane moved from Tottenham to Bayern on a four-year contract in 2022, many people, particularly in England, expected him to return home once the agreement expired.
Kane had not lifted a trophy with either Tottenham or England, making the opportunity to join a side accustomed to winning silverware almost every season especially appealing.
However, some believed that after collecting a few medals, he might head back to England and pursue the Premier League scoring record, with Alan Shearer’s total still 47 goals ahead.
He acknowledged that possibility last week, explaining: “When I initially departed, I was convinced that I would eventually return. I no longer feel that desire as strongly.”
The 33-year-old has thoroughly enjoyed his spell at Bayern and is prepared to open talks about prolonging his contract.
The admiration goes both ways, with Bayern honorary president Uli Hoeness describing Kane as “the finest signing in our history”.
Such praise is significant for a team that has featured iconic scorers including Gerd Muller, Karl-Heinz Rummenigge and Robert Lewandowski.
Kane registered 61 goals across 51 appearances last season, setting a new single-campaign scoring record for a Bayern player.
Those figures increased his Bayern tally to 146 goals and 33 assists from 147 matches. He claimed the European Shoe in 2024 and 2026, alongside the Bundesliga Golden Boot in 2025.
He also delivered a hat-trick against Stuttgart in the German Cup final, securing Bayern’s 2026 domestic double.
“A large number of supporters think he is capable of winning the Ballon d’Or,” Eckner said.
“Bayern are actively supporting his case, while also showing the much younger Michael Olise that joining Real Madrid is not essential to compete for the Ballon d’Or.
“Kane’s remarkably dependable and persistent scoring record in the Bundesliga has stood out. In effect, he has taken over from Robert Lewandowski and produced comparable numbers.
“Bayern depend greatly on Kane and have recruited neither a genuine deputy nor a long-term successor. Although his current deal ends after this season, the team remains confident that he will agree to stay for several more years.”
Victory in the Ballon d’Or would make Kane only the second English recipient since the 1970s and the first since Michael Owen earned the award in 2001.
“From an individual perspective, there is no greater honour than the Ballon d’Or,” he said.
“The outcome is beyond my control. I have contributed everything possible through my performances, but the decision now rests with voters and others in the media. All I can do is wait and see.”
Nevertheless, Kane said last November: “Even if I scored 100 times this season, I would be unlikely to receive the Ballon d’Or without winning either the Champions League or the World Cup.”
His campaigns in both tournaments ultimately ended at the semi-final stage.
Another player considered indispensable to Bayern is fellow Londoner Olise, who plays international football for France.
In just over two years with the team, the forward has accumulated 43 goals and 46 assists, with one of those goals arriving in this season’s Super Cup.
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