According to a report by Florian Plettenberg (via @iMiaSanMia), Bayern Munich are discussing a potential moratorium on the Harry Kane transfer. Instead of trying to get him for a hundred million euros or more this season, the club might try for him in 2024 after his contract with Tottenham Hotspur expires. In the meantime, Werder Bremen and Germany striker Niclas Fullkrug is being discussed as a stopgap option.
Needless to say, if this report is true, Bayern Munich can say goodbye to winning the Champions League for the next few years (AT LEAST). Harry Kane will never come to Munich as a free transfer, and Niclas Fullkrug is barely better than Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting — he is not the kind of player that Thomas Tuchel needs to take this team to the next level. He is NO Robert Lewandowski replacement.
On a positive note, Plettenberg’s info has been a lot less reliable since Hasan Salihamidzic got sacked by the board, so this could just be a case of him spitballing to garner reactions. Unfortunately, the possibility of losing out on a striker like Kane is a major one.
The current iteration of the Bayern board, composed of Karl Heinz-Rummenigge and Uli Hoeness, have always been notoriously tight-fisted when it comes to paying transfer fees. Fans have long been concerned that they may balk at the massive transfer fees demanded by clubs around Europe for their strikers. Given their love of German players, they may see Fullkrug as a potentially safe stopgap until next season, when Kane may be available (to choose anyone other than Bayern).
Unfortunately, the club cannot afford to be frugal here. Simply put, in a market where Felix Nmecha goes for a total fee of around €30m, there is no way a top quality striker like Kane, Kolo Muani, Osimhen, or anyone else will cost less than €100m. That simply will not happen. Bayern Munich needs to act decisively this summer, or the club’s fortunes in the Champions League will take a permanent hit. Teams like Manchester City and Real Madrid will only widen the gap, and it’s much easier to keep up than it is to catch up.
Bayern Munich must ensure that it doesn’t end up in a race to catch up to the big boys. That means buying a striker this summer — hopefully Harry Kane — that is NOT a stopgap, and certainly not Niclas Fullkrug.
