How Harry Kane is tearing up the Bundesliga for Bayern Munich
The 2020 documentary "All or Nothing: Tottenham Hotspur" provided a revealing glimpse into Harry Kane's psyche. In a one-on-one chat with then-manager Jose Mourinho, Kane said: "When you're at a club like Tottenham, we've done well and I've done well, but I want to be [Cristiano Ronaldo] or [Lionel Messi]."
Some might have scoffed at the English striker's ambition as shown on screen, but despite the constant change after Mauricio Pochettino's departure as Spurs manager in 2019, Kane's brilliant numbers never waned. His blistering start to the 2025-26 campaign with Bayern Munich (18 goals in 10 matches), is on par with Messi and Ronaldo.
Take a deeper look at his overall game, however, and his gaudy scoring stats are just scratching the surface. He has never been more influential in the buildup phase of play. The goals remain a constant, but he now plays a role at the start, middle and end of Bayern's attacks. Kane is evolving, and that evolution is contributing to perhaps his best season yet.
With Saturday's Der Klassiker vs. Borussia Dortmund on the horizon (12:30 p.m. ET, ESPN+), let's examine how his role has changed from his days at Spurs, what it could mean for England at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, and his future at the club level.
Filling a Musiala-shaped hole
When star midfielder Jamal Musiala picked up an injury during the Club World Cup, it left a creative void. Kane has taken up the mantle.
"When Jamal's playing, it's a bit different. Getting the ball off defenders, driving, when we were playing together, it was better for him to go and do that," Kane explained after Bayern's win over Eintracht Frankfurt. "This season, it's allowed me to play a little bit deeper, use my qualities in that sense of turning and playing it forward, then arriving later in the box."
The goal he scored in that game saw Kane occupy Frankfurt's defensive line before peeling back close to Joshua Kimmich just ahead of the center circle. When the ball was played up to Serge Gnabry near the edge of the penalty area, the striker moved forward from the middle of the pitch, slotting into a gap created by him initially dropping for a trademark finish from outside the box.
But Kane's game is about more than just arriving late to score goals. He's now a crucial cog in Bayern's buildup, often seen deep in his own half to receive the ball from his own defense.
In the ninth minute of the same game, Kane received the ball near the sideline in the left-back position, wriggled past two challenges and found Gnabry in space.
The surprising thing is how much of a regularity such Luka Modric-esque moves are becoming. Players get sucked into following Kane so far into Bayern's half that he can find another attacker in space as he holds the ball up.
He initiates the moves, and he completes them. Both his inevitable goal scoring and his playmaking ability are thriving as a result.
How Kane's game has evolved
Kane was always more than a goal poacher: it just took some time to discover his alternative capabilities.
At the beginning of his career and in his first two seasons in Germany, Kane's game centered around creating chances or scoring them, but mainly scoring. He amassed many shots and touches in the box under Pochettino, and shades of his ball-carrying and ability to bring others into the game appeared near the end of his Tottenham Hotspur spell.
Kane's heat map from his last two seasons at Tottenham, depicting where he was most active, helps show how his game has changed. More color appears in his own half, near the center circle, or in half-spaces (the channels between center backs and fullbacks) away from goal.
In his first two seasons at Bayern Munich, his actions took place almost entirely in the opponent's half, as he leaned more into his talents as a finisher.
Looking at Kane's heat map for the 2025-26 season, spots emerge all over the pitch, with highlighted areas deep in his own half.
Statistics show that this season, Kane is back to combining the best of his abilities as an attacker and a creator. His progressive passes are as high as they were in 2021-22 and 2023-24, while he's never had more touches in his own box than this season.
It's clearly working. "Arriving late," as Kane puts it, has seen his expected assists and shot-creating actions rise. He has provided a solution to Bayern's shortage of creativity in midfield, as Kimmich and Leon Goretzka aren't the most inventive midfielders. (All stats below are per 90 minutes.)
His link-up play, hold-up ability and chance-creating talents were underrated during his time in north London, but in Bavaria, that part of his game has been elevated. It is now being used in spaces where you'd typically see Kimmich, and it's the absolute best of both worlds.
Looking ahead to the World Cup
Kane, England and coach Thomas Tuchel will be determined to get their hands on an elusive trophy this summer, and they shouldn't be afraid to use the "new" Harry Kane to do so. Ominously for the rest of the competition, England might have started doing this already.
Against Serbia, while he spent most of the game occupying their back five, Kane would often peel off and look for the ball deeper.
In the early stages of the World Cup, Tuchel could opt for Kane in this role to break teams down. With Kane dragging a center back of out of position, faster players such as Anthony Gordon or Bukayo Saka can be played in behind. In the latter stages (should England reach them), England might have less of the ball and use him more like a target man, as they did in the first minute of the Serbia game when a long ball was sent into the box for Kane to nod down.
Kane's versatility could unlock defenses that sit deep and elevate other attackers. However, he still needs to be the striker who gets into the box, as there isn't another striker in the national side with his finishing ability. Lucky for England, he can do both. The conundrum for Tuchel will be balancing both roles.
What's next at club level?
With Kane's Bayern Munich contract set to expire in 2027, both club and player are thinking about what happens next. Bayern's sporting director has hinted at an extension, and the longer a new contract isn't signed, the more rumors and conjecture will swirl.
We've taken the liberty of looking ahead for Kane, and his next step could be to settle unfinished business in England. Kane has played down a return home, but the motive would be clear: to break Alan Shearer's goal-scoring record (260; Kane has 213) and attempt to win a Premier League title.
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Manchester City have Erling Haaland, and unless a team comes along to sign him out of his massive contract, he won't be displaced. But what if manager Pep Guardiola combined Haaland and Kane?
Guardiola likes to play with four attackers and one holding midfielder behind Haaland, but those four attackers float around the pitch. One of those players could be Kane, as defenses wouldn't know who to mark.
The downside could be that it exacerbates some of the out-of-possession issues City have had in their press this season. The forward line has left huge gaps as City have pressed aggressively. Kane isn't a bad presser, but if he's asked to drop deeper, we have no evidence to suggest whether his work without the ball would be sufficient in this new position, particularly in terms of tackling and closing players down.
Teams are smart about exploiting space. Guardiola couldn't have both players pressing as forwards. Still, most of City's game will be played with them dictating the tempo, so the focus will be on what Kane brings in possession. It's inventive, but with Guardiola, it's wild enough to work.
In terms of other Premier League clubs, Liverpool have signed three attackers and are trying to figure out how they fit. Arsenal are ruled out because of Kane's Spurs allegiance, which leaves a possible romantic return to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. After getting a taste of his first piece of silverware, though, Kane returning to his old club or moving to Chelsea or Manchester United would be a step down.
Elsewhere in Europe, with the lack of funds in Serie A, Kane's next challenge could be tackling LaLiga with Real Madrid or Barcelona. Neither the Catalan giants nor Real Madrid have a pure No. 9 with a physical and aerial presence, besides Robert Lewandowski at Barcelona, whose contract expires in summer 2026. Since Joselu left Real Madrid, Los Blancos have missed the player, as Thibaut Courtois highlighted last season. "We put in a lot of crosses, but this year we don't have Joselu, a natural striker up front," he said after being knocked out of the Champions League by Arsenal.
Coach Xabi Alonso has a vast array of talent in attack that he likes to rotate. Adding Kane would give the Spaniard an even bigger selection headache. The Bayern forward isn't accustomed to that, and Lewandowski's expiring contract and Kylian Mbappé's tremendous form make Barcelona a more attractive option. It's hard to envision Kane combining with Lamine Yamal, Raphinha and Pedri and not being successful, as Barça create plenty but are often wasteful in front of goal. As the starting striker, Kane would be a perfect fit in Barcelona's swaggering attack.
A longer stay in Munich?
With his current form, ability and profile as one of the world's best players, Kane is a suitable fit for a club that challenges for a league title and the Champions League every season. It's why he says he's open to a new contract with Bayern Munich.
"In terms of staying longer [at Bayern], I could definitely see that," he said Oct. 6. "I spoke openly a couple of weeks ago that I have not had those conversations with Bayern yet, but if they were to arise I would be willing to talk and have an honest conversation."
Despite being a tantalizing prospect for many clubs, Kane has repeatedly spoken of how happy he is in Germany -- maybe to the point where he himself didn't expect to enjoy it this much.
