Price is what you pay; value is what you get. So as Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy negotiates the numbers with Bayern Munich’s CEO, striker Harry Kane will be weighing up what a move could bring him and what it would be worth.
While he has intimated he is open to the switch, his belief it would be unfair to leave if a deal isn’t done before the first Premier League game of the season is a reminder of his loyalty to his boyhood club.
Of course, with Kane this isn’t about the money. He would become Bayern’s top earner but the driver of this move is his legacy.
With that in mind, the Premier League goalscoring record is something to factor in. He has been open about his ambition to add that historic accolade to his scoring records for Tottenham and England and it has been used in the past as an argument as to why he wouldn’t move abroad. After scoring 30 times last season, it is a record that is also within sight.
But a move to Germany with Bayern needn’t end that aim. A five-year contract is reportedly on the table but whether that is completed in full or not, there could still be time for Kane – who has meticulously managed his body – to return in search of the remaining 48 strikes he needs to surpass Alan Shearer.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
After reaching 200 Premier League goals and becoming Tottenham’s record goalscorer, we take a look at Harry Kane’s greatest goals in the Premier League.
A move to Bayern would also all-but guarantee the elusive team trophy missing from his CV.
At Tottenham, Kane’s hero status is assured, regardless of what happens next. He has won the hearts of the club’s supporters and the fact he’s ‘one of their own’ makes his relentless scoring even more special. Never mind the new mural outside the ground, a statue is surely on the way.
But rival fans will be quick to ask, ‘Where’s the trophy?’ and it is that absence of team silverware which is the prevalent driving force for a player who has just turned 30.
As with England, where a major win is also needed, there have been near misses for Kane and Spurs. But those failures to get over the line sit behind the otherwise giant achievements of his career.
Bayern Munich are the closest to a sure thing when it comes to trophies. With their streak of Bundesliga titles now stretching to 11 – plus five German Cups in that time – Kane’s wait for silverware would almost certainly be over within 12 months if he headed to Bavaria.
But what is the value of a German title to Kane? Of course it would bring pride, satisfaction, and a feeling of accomplishment. However, without diminishing the competition, will his reputation have been enhanced or his status upgraded because he helped Bayern to yet another championship?
It is hard to imagine his critics on these shores silenced by that. Perhaps displaying his skills and lifting a trophy in another league might win respect from European observers, but football fans in this country can be insular and a Bundesliga win would be quickly waved away by those who want to talk him down.
Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting has three Bundesliga titles. He’s also won Ligue 1 with Paris Saint-Germain on a couple of occasions. But that season with relegated Stoke, when he scored five times in 30 appearances, will always be in the mind of followers of English football when his name is mentioned.
With or without Kane, Bayern will likely win the Bundesliga next season anyway.
The Champions League is the bigger selling point for a move to Germany. It’s why Bayern need Kane and, perhaps, why Kane feels he needs Bayern.
With Tottenham out of Europe’s elite contest – and facing serious competition to return there in the coming seasons – a move to Bayern would take Kane back to the top table.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
As a deal between Bayern Munich and Tottenham for Harry Kane edges closer, was this the Spurs captain saying goodbye to the fans in their last two games of the season?
Bayern won the Champions League in 2020 and their pedigree on that level is undoubted. They are billed as second favourites for the competition in Sky Bet’s market. But after three quarter-final exits in a row, success again in that competition is far from a guarantee. Especially given the levels Real Madrid and Manchester City have reached in recent seasons.
A Champions League win would add huge value for Kane. But it would be a gamble at Bayern – as it is anywhere. It is a trophy notoriously hard to secure. Just ask PSG, this is a competition that is hard to win, regardless of how much emphasis you put on it.
On the other side of the scales is the gamble of staying at Spurs. With Ange Postecoglou coming in there is optimism among supporters but also an awareness that a return towards the top of the table could take time. Kane doesn’t want to keep on waiting.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
Kaveh Solhekol says Harry Kane expects to stay at Tottenham if he is not sold before their Premier League season opener on August 13th.
But a cup success is within Spurs’ reach. Again, the odds don’t quite reflect that feeling, with Sky Bet ranking Spurs as the seventh most likely side to win either the FA Cup or Carabao Cup, perhaps based on their long domestic silverware drought. But with Postecoglou arriving on the back of a treble win with Celtic, his desire to deliver in those competitions will be strong and they are likely to become more of a priority than they have in recent years.
How much would a League Cup or FA Cup win mean? Is that worth hanging on for? They carry less prestige than a Bundesliga but a Wembley win with Spurs would be loaded with emotion for Kane, given the struggle, given his connection with the club.
It would be priceless.
Follow the summer transfer window with Sky Sports
Who will be on the move this summer when the transfer window opens on June 14 and closes at 11pm on September 1 in England and midnight in Scotland?
Keep up to date with all the latest transfer news and rumours in our dedicated Transfer Centre blog on Sky Sports’ digital platforms. You can also catch up with the ins, outs and analysis on Sky Sports News.