Harry Kane could seal Premier League return with Bayern Munich 'braced for exit'

Bayern Munich are already making preparations for Harry Kane's eventual departure, with it reportedly being common knowledge that the striker won't finish his career in Germany. Kane made the switch to Bayern from Tottenham in summer 2023 for £86.4million and has been in scintillating form ever since. The England skipper has netted 91 goals in 100 appearances for the Bavarian outfit, helping secure both the Bundesliga title and German Super Cup.

He is very happy in Bavaria and has less than two years left on his existing deal. No discussions are currently underway regarding an extension beyond June 2027, with Bayern actively pursuing strikers during the recent transfer window. Following unsuccessful pursuits of Nick Woltemade and Christopher Nkunku, they eventually secured Nicolas Jackson on a season-long loan from Chelsea, with an option to make the move permanent.

Jackson will become a Bayern player for £56.2m should he feature in 40 matches this campaign and could potentially serve as Kane's successor, according to German football expert Raphael Honigstein.

"It's no big secret that people in Germany don't expect Harry Kane to see out his career at Bayern," he told talkSPORT.

"I think Bayern are braced for the possibility that he will leave slightly earlier than his contract, which runs until 2027.

"One way or the other, he and the club need to take a view on this fairly soon. They were pushing for somebody who can both be a backup and an understudy for Kane.

"They looked at [Benjamin] Sesko. They looked at [Nick] Woltemade. They ended up with Jackson, with an obligation to buy.

"This suggests Bayern are aware of the possibility that Kane might go in a year or two. But at the same time, he's so good that anyone who comes in has to play around him.

"There is absolutely no chance that Jackson will displace Kane. He will have to play alongside him, ahead of him or give Kane a rest in a game or two. But he is very much there to be his eventual successor, but we are still quite far off that."

Kane devoted his entire professional journey to Tottenham before departing for Bayern and currently holds second place amongst the Premier League's all-time leading marksmen.

His record of 213 strikes trails only Alan Shearer tally of 260, and speculation regularly surfaces that Kane might wish to return to England to secure the milestone.

Bayern typically deploy just one central striker, with Vincent Kompany preferring a 4-2-3-1 system. This means Jackson will probably begin his Bayern stint amongst the substitutes following the international break.

Meanwhile, the club's honorary president Uli Hoeness has cast uncertainty over his long-term prospects at the organisation.

When quizzed on Sport1 about the possibility of a permanent deal for Jackson, Hoeness responded with a touch of scepticism: "That only happens if he plays 40 games from the start. He never does that!"

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