Bayern Munich’s striker search is in full swing as the summer transfer window of 2023/24 begins. The German record champions have identified Tottenham Hotspur and England skipper Harry Kane as the preferential solution to their woes at the nine position, but according to Az, it’s Napoli’s Victor Osimhen who should be getting the harder look as heir to Robert Lewandowski’s titanic legacy.
Lewandowski’s departure to FC Barcelona revealed a glaring hole in Bayern’s otherwise talented forward line, one which Liverpool FC recruit Sadio Mané was unable to address last season. But Az, using stats from Opta, suggests that Kane isn’t the direct replacement that the Bavarians truly need:
According to statistics from data service provider Opta, Kane is only the second most suitable forward for the Lewy role. Like the Pole, the Englishman is extremely strong. In the past Premier League season, the 29-year-old provided 1.5 assists per 90 minutes, while Lewandowski managed 1.1 in the Bundesliga. However, Kane is rarely found in the penalty area (4.8 ball actions per 90 minutes). For Lewandowski it was 8.3 in the 2021/22 Bundesliga season. On the other hand, Kane is much more consistent in exploiting big opportunities. 65 percent ended up in goal for the Englishman, 47 percent for Lewandowski.
What about Osimhen, the up-and-coming superstar out of Serie A? The 24-year-old posted 8.5 ball actions in the penalty area per 90 to go with his impressive goals output (26 from 32 league games).
BFW Analysis
It’s an interesting stat, but it is just one stat — and there’s a reason for Kane’s lower output. The English international has proven to be as capable in the box as anyone, but his dual skill-set as a ten leads him to drop deep often and provide defense-splitting passes for the likes of Son Heung-min.
At Bayern, that might be Serge Gnabry, Kingsley Coman, Leroy Sané, or even Mathys Tel: pacy forwards who can cut inside from either wing to provide goal threat. If Bayern get the goals, does it matter how often their striker is in the penalty area?
But maybe the bosses don’t feel the same, and maybe Tuchel especially needs his striker to conform to a specific role. Recall how his last expensive experiment — Romelu Lukaku at Chelsea FC — worked out due what may have been a system mismatch.
Even still, it’s hard to imagine Kane as anything other than a massive success in Munich.
Looking for more insight on the recent transfer coming and goings? Check out our Weekend Warm-up Podcast on Spotify or below for our thoughts on the rumors linking Bayern Munich to Tottenham Hotspur’s Harry Kane, Juventus’ Federico Chiesa, and a whole lot more:
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