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Former FC Bayern Munich sporting director Hasan Salihamidzic has opened up about the club’s pursuit of Harry Kane, who eventually moved from Tottenham Hotspur to the German giants for a transfer fee of €95 million.

Salihamidzic shared that discussions about finding a successor to Robert Lewandowski began as early as autumn 2021, when it became apparent that the Polish striker would leave Bayern in the summer of 2022. Speaking on Sport1’s *Doppelpass*, he recalled, “When it became clear that Lewandowski would move on, we had to sit down and think carefully about who could replace him.”

According to Salihamidzic, it quickly became evident at Säbener Straße that Harry Kane was the ideal choice. “It was clear to us that he had to be the one because he possesses qualities that very few others have,” he explained, emphasising that Kane soon became Bayern’s top transfer target as they sought Lewandowski’s replacement after his move to FC Barcelona in 2022.

However, at that time, Tottenham Hotspur refused to entertain any negotiations. “Back then, Tottenham closed the door very quickly and didn’t want to discuss it at all,” Salihamidzic said. Consequently, Bayern could not proceed with a move for the English striker in 2022 and instead signed Sadio Mané from Liverpool. The Senegalese forward, however, struggled to settle in Munich and departed after one season.

Salihamidzic also revealed that Bayern had considered Erling Haaland as another major target. “Of course, we looked at other options too. Kylian Mbappé, who was still at Paris Saint-Germain, was financially out of the question,” he explained. “Haaland was also on our list. We made sure we were only considering top strikers.”

Bayern had shown strong interest in bringing Haaland to Munich, but after his rapid rise at Borussia Dortmund, the Norwegian striker opted to join Manchester City in the summer of 2022.

With Haaland off the market, Bayern remained determined to sign Kane in 2023. “At FC Bayern, you always need a player who can win matches — whether it was Giovane Elber before, Lewa, or now Kane. But you have to plan carefully because such transfers cost a lot of money. For us, it was always clear that Kane was our number one target,” Salihamidzic said.

In April 2023, Bayern officials travelled to London to meet Kane’s family. “He has a wonderful family; his father and brother are very nice, and we had great conversations,” Salihamidzic revealed. The 49-year-old, however, was dismissed from his role in May 2023 and did not take part in the final negotiations for the England captain’s transfer.

“After that, my successors took things forward. It certainly wasn’t easy to convince Harry Kane to leave London, but Bayern had the pull to get it done,” he noted. The move has since proven to be a huge success — in three seasons, Kane has already scored an astonishing 146 goals for the Bundesliga champions.

“Whenever he gets a clear sight of goal, it usually ends up in the net. He’s just lethal. There’s no striker in Europe who’s currently in such superb form or has maintained such consistency over the years. That’s why he’s absolutely a Ballon d’Or contender,” Salihamidzic said about the 32-year-old.

Kane’s current contract with Bayern Munich runs until 2027, and the club is eager to extend it. Reports suggest that the striker feels comfortable in Munich with his family and is open to remaining beyond his current deal. However, after scoring a hat-trick in Bayern’s 3-0 DFB-Pokal final victory over VfB Stuttgart, Kane clarified that his next contract decision will be crucial. “At this stage of my career, I want to make the most of my contract. This will be one of the last contracts I sign as a player,” he explained.

Harry Kane’s record at Bayern Munich:

Matches: 147

Goals: 146

Assists: 33

Trophies: 2× German Champion (2025, 2026), DFB Cup Winner (2026), German Super Cup Winner (2025).