Bayern convinced Harry Kane wants to join them although gap in valuation still exists; Spurs' record scorer open to speaking formally to German champions; Paris Saint-Germain believe they are also in the mix; Kane has 12 months left on his Spurs contract
Tuesday 1 August 2023 16:42, UK
Bayern Munich remain significantly short of Tottenham's valuation of Harry Kane after representatives from both clubs met in London on Monday.
Members of Spurs and Bayern's hierarchy discussed Kane over lunch in the capital, with talks continuing into the afternoon before the visiting officials returned to Germany in the evening.
The gap in valuation, believed to be at least £20m, remains but dialogue between all sides is still open despite a deal not being able to be reached.
Bayern are ready to pay a maximum of €100m (£85.7m) for Kane, made up of €90m (£77.1m) plus €10m (£8.7m) in add-ons.
However, Spurs want at least £100m for their record goalscorer, who is understood to be open to speaking formally to Bayern should a deal be agreed.
Tottenham will also insist on a buy-back clause should Kane return to the Premier League.
Bayern Munich would likely have to break their transfer record to sign Kane, which currently stands as the €80m (£68.5m) they paid Atletico Madrid for Lucas Hernandez in 2019.
Bayern chief executive Jan-Christian Dreesen and technical director Marco Neppe arrived at Munich airport on Monday morning to fly to England and returned in the evening.
The clubs were due to meet last week but that session was rescheduled, while dialogue has remained open between the two sides about the future of the England captain.
The German champions are convinced Spurs' record scorer wants to join them. Kane will not sign a new contract with Tottenham this summer and would prefer to join Bayern over other interested clubs.
French champions Paris Saint-Germain believe they are in the mix for Kane if Tottenham decide to sell. They will not be drawn into a bidding war, however.
The risk for Spurs is keeping him beyond the window and losing an elite goalscorer on a free next summer, potentially to a Premier League rival. This is why Spurs are speaking to interested clubs abroad.
So what happens if Tottenham do not agree a transfer fee with Bayern? If Kane remains at Tottenham he will simply get on with his football.
If that scenario presents itself what factors could encourage him to extend his contract later in the season? The simple answer is it would require Spurs turning into a side capable of winning trophies. That is the gamble facing Levy. Otherwise he can expect the England captain to have his pick of clubs at home and abroad.
Sky Sports News' Paul Gilmour @skysportspaulg:
"The fact Kane won't sign a new deal this summer will only increase the prospect of the England captain being on the move in the coming weeks.
"Add into the mix the fact Thomas Tuchel is obsessed with making this happen and Bayern doing everything possible to agree a suitable financial package with Spurs, the pendulum is swinging towards a departure.
"That said, we're being told Kane is happy concentrating on his football with Tottenham and the option of extending his contract later in the season is not off the table.
"Daniel Levy will make one of the toughest decisions of his career in the weeks ahead. Does he believe there is a chance of a contract extension later in the season? Does he believe Ange Postecoglou and his players can play attacking football and look like trophy winners this early into the project?
"If the answer is no to those key questions then the Premier League is likely to lose one of the best goalscorers around, and Tottenham could use the money to help create balance in their playing squad."
European football expert Kevin Hatchard on Sky Sports News:
"Harry Kane would be a really good fit at Bayern Munich. They would see it as a major coup, bringing the captain of England to the Bundesliga. They've talked a lot about not just how good it would be for Bayern but how good it would be for the Bundesliga as a whole.
"They see him as somebody who can take their attack to the next level. They have a lot of good players there but Bayern need a feelgood story as well because they only just retained their Bundesliga title, were shredded by Man City in the Champions League and Thomas Tuchel is pushing for this as well.
"Bayern have been interested in him for a long time, it hasn't come out of nowhere. But Tuchel has more power at Bayern than most coaches have had in recent years. Oliver Kahn the CEO went, Hasan Salihamidzic the sporting director went and Thomas Tuchel is highly respected at Bayern.
"They see Kane as the replacement for Robert Lewandowski in the long term and that's a good template for Kane because Lewandowski year upon year upon year was banging in goals in the Bundesliga and crucially was also helping them do well in the Champions League."
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.
