Harry Kane left his boyhood club, Tottenham Hotspur, in August 2023 to join Bayern Munich. It was an emotional moment for Spurs fans around the world, as they watched a youngster grow into one of the best players in the world and leave for – what he expected – bigger and better things.
The England captain departed the club as their record goalscorer and their greatest player of all time. He broke Jimmy Greaves’ legendary goalscoring record in his final few months in N17, and he has continued his impressive form at Bayern Munich in Bavaria.
Spurs reluctantly sold Kane – no club ever wants to sell their best player, after all – and we have outlined why they did so. We will never know if it was a smart financial decision or one which robbed the Lilywhites of watching Kane in their famous white shirt for years to come.
Why Tottenham Sold Harry Kane
He didn’t want to sign a new contract
The summer of 2023 was one of chaos for Spurs. They were planning to start a new era after acquiring Celtic manager Ange Postecoglou, but there was always one question surrounding Hotspur Way – would Kane stay? After a drawn-out saga which saw Manchester United, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich look at his services, the latter club eventually pulled through.
They submitted an initial offer of £82m eventually, and Spurs did not want to lose him. However, Daniel Levy – who is always very financially focused – did not want to lose Kane for a cheap fee. His contract ended in 2024 and there was no guarantee that the record-breaking Englishman would sign a new one.
Kane refused to sign an extension in the summer as he did not want to commit to a new and uncertain project. He was open to the possibility of signing a new one at the end of the campaign if Spurs impressed under Postecoglou, but Levy – who has been Spurs’ chairman since 2001 – did not want to take the risk, as he outlined in a statement when the deal was announced.
“We sought over a long period of time to engage Harry and his representatives in several forms of contract extension, both short and long-term,” Levy outlined. “Harry was clear, however, that he wanted a fresh challenge and would not be signing a new contract this summer.
“We have reluctantly, therefore, agreed to his transfer.”
However, the only reason Kane did not sign a new contract was because Spurs were underperforming. They finished eighth in the 2022/23 campaign, despite the England captain scoring 30 goals. Over his career in N17, he failed to win a single trophy, something he expected to change at Bayern Munich.
“I’ve always said in my career, I’ve wanted to keep improving, keep pushing myself to my limits and see how far that can take me. Ultimately, I want to be playing at the highest level, I want it to be playing in the Champions League, I want to be fighting for titles every year,” Kane explained when he joined.
“Coming to Bayern Munich, one of the biggest clubs in the world, gives me that opportunity, so I’m looking forward to that challenge.”
