Harry Kane has signalled he's unlikely to return to England's top flight to chase Alan Shearer's all-time Premier League scoring record, saying "the itch isn't there as much anymore" after three years at Bayern Munich. The England captain left Tottenham in 2023 with 213 goals in the English top flight — 47 short of Shearer's tally of 260.
Kane's comments come as he enters the final 12 months of the four-year deal he signed after his £86.4m move from Spurs three years ago. He's set to begin discussing a new contract at Bayern, where he's flourished under Vincent Kompany's management and completed a league and cup double last season.
Record Form Under Kompany
The 33-year-old striker scored 73 goals in total last season, including 61 in 51 appearances for Bayern as Kompany's side swept domestic honours. After receiving the Golden Shoe for finishing top scorer in the Bundesliga on Wednesday, Kane said he feels settled in Munich.
"When I first left, for sure it was something I thought — I would definitely be coming back," Kane said. "That itch isn't there as much anymore. I am extremely happy here in Munich, it opened my eyes to a totally different world of football outside of England and it has made me appreciate European football even more."
Kompany, who took charge of Bayern two years ago, has elevated Kane's game to what the striker calls "the best version of myself for sure." Kane said: "I think last season speaks for itself, from that sense the best season in my career no doubt. Since the boss has come in he has elevated my game to another level."
Family and Tactical Freedom
Kane cited both family stability and tactical freedom as reasons for his contentment in Germany. "I just think the team we have here and the manager, my family is really settled here, it is just about being in the best place possible," he said. "Never say never, but for now I am concentrating on Bayern Munich and we will see what the future holds."
The striker praised Kompany's system for giving him freedom to drop deep or arrive late in the box — tactical flexibility he said he'd also enjoyed at Tottenham, especially from the Mourinho stage onwards, where he had a great relationship with Son Heung-min. "It has been building but I think this season with the team I have around me, the players we have and the system we play with the coach, it has just elevated me to another level," he said.
Why This Matters:
Kane's decision to stay in Germany represents a broader shift in European football's economic geography. Premier League clubs have long assumed they could reclaim top talent, but Germany's fiscal discipline and competitive wages are proving attractive. For English football, it's a reminder that the domestic league's commercial dominance doesn't guarantee player loyalty. Kane's 73 goals last season demonstrate that elite strikers can thrive outside England's top flight — and that the Bundesliga, often dismissed as less competitive, can provide the platform for record-breaking form. His contract talks will test whether Bayern can retain a player at his peak without the financial excess that characterises English transfers.