Here’s Harry: England skipper Harry Kane arrived in Munich on Friday (Glyn KIRK)
England captain Harry Kane arrived in Germany on Friday after Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou confirmed the striker is on the brink of signing for Bayern Munich.
The two clubs have reportedly agreed a fee worth an initial 100 million euros ($110 million, £86 million) for the 30-year-old, who had just one year left on his contract at Spurs.
Kane was given permission to travel to Germany to complete a medical ahead of what would be a record transfer for a Bundesliga club.
He arrived by plane in the early evening for his exam in central Munich, an AFP photographer said.
Postecoglou is preparing to take charge of his first Premier League game in charge of Tottenham at Brentford on Sunday and said he is now planning on life without the club’s all-time top goalscorer.
“My understanding is it has progressed to the point where it looks like it will happen,” said Postecoglou at his pre-match press conference.
“From that perspective at least it gives us some clarity and we move forward without Harry.
“From my perspective it is just about understanding where we are at and the information I have at the moment is the deal is imminent, but like with all these things, you leave yourself some leeway.
“But moving forward and training today preparing for Brentford, we are doing it without Harry.”
– ‘Highest priority’ –
Earlier on Friday, Bayern boss Thomas Tuchel said the six-time European champions were working on the deal as their “highest priority”.
Tuchel’s men kick off their season against RB Leipzig in the German Super Cup on Saturday with the start of the Bundesliga season not till next weekend.
“We are working hard on it… that is no secret,” said the former Chelsea manager.
“But as of now there is no decision. As long as there is no agreement, the coach is not going to talk about it, as it is not his player.”
Kane scored 280 goals in 435 games for Spurs and is also England’s all-time top goalscorer with 58 international goals.
He remains 47 goals shy of equalling Alan Shearer’s record of 260 in the Premier League.
Kane is yet to win a major trophy at club or international level.
He finished top scorer at the 2018 World Cup where England reached the semi-finals.
At the 2022 tournament in Qatar, they were defeated by France in the quarter-finals, Kane first scoring and then missing a penalty with England 2-1 down and six minutes left on the clock.
Kane also featured in his country’s run to the European Championship final in 2021 where they lost to Italy in a penalty shoot-out.
Silverware is all but guaranteed at Bayern, who have won 11 straight Bundesliga titles.
But the German giants were in desperate need of a striker after struggling to replace Robert Lewandowski last season. Lewandowski moved to Barcelona at the end of the 2021-22 campaign.
The club won the Bundesliga in each of the Pole’s eight seasons in Munich, with Lewandowski scoring 344 goals in 375 appearances.
– Golden Boot –
The Polish international averaged 30 goals per season. In 2022-23, not one Bayern player hit the 15 league goal mark.
Kane has scored more than 20 league goals in all but three of the past nine Premier League seasons, winning the Golden Boot on three occasions.
Despite finishing second in last season’s Premier League scoring charts behind Erling Haaland (36), Kane netted 30 league goals in 2022-23, equalling his best mark.
Bayern were eliminated by eventual winners Manchester City in the quarter-finals of the Champions League last season and only won the Bundesliga title on goal difference thanks to a final-day capitulation from Borussia Dortmund.
Kane had been linked with a move away from his boyhood club two years ago but Manchester City failed in their pursuit.
Kane sat out the first match of that season – coincidentally against City – but Pep Guardiola’s side never got close to agreeing a fee with Tottenham for the forward.
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