While Bayern Munich have performed well in the Champions League group so far this season, they’ve only won five of their 10 Bundesliga fixtures to date and currently sit four points behind surprise leaders Union Berlin in second place.
Much of the sides domestic troubles have focused on the relative struggles of Sadio Mane, who despite scoring nine goals in 16 matches across all competitions, has struggled to fill the void left by the departing Robert Lewandowski.
As a result, Bayern are being linked with a number of potential striking options, including Spurs striker and leading England goalscorer Harry Kane. But would Kane revitalise Bayern’s domestic fortunes and fill the gap left by Lewandowski?
Coping Without Lewandowski
Polish striker Lewandowski scored a staggering 344 in 375 games for Bayern before leaving for Barcelona in the summer, including 50 in just 46 matches as the side lifted a 10th consecutive Bundesliga tiles in 2022.
While Mane was procured for around £35 million as an indirect replacement, the Senegal forward is a completely different type of player to his predecessor.
As a result, Bayern coach Julien Nagelsmann has adopted a different tactical approach for the new campaign, using multiple systems including a 3-1-4-2 and 4-2-2-2 shape alongside a more traditional 4-2-3-1.
The use of a 4-2-2-2 formation is particularly telling, as this looked to fill the void left by Lewandowski by featuring a fluid, four-man attack that could create overloads in central areas and overwhelm defences with consistent movement.
This seemed to play into the mobility and pace of players like Mane and Serge Gnabry in the front line, while allowing creative talents like Jamal Musiala and the experienced Thomas Muller to supply chances and help sustain persistent attacks.
Why Bayern Miss Lewandowski – And is Kane the Answer?
Which such tactical tweaks have helped Bayern to remain a potent and fluid attacking force, the lack of a prolific focal point at the top end of the pitch has made the side much more profligate than before.
To this end, Bayern have created a slew of chances in recent Bundesliga matches, but they’ve won just two of their last seven league games and dropped points against Borussia Monchengladbach, VfB Stuttgart and leaders Union Berlin among others.
So, it’s little wonder that Bayern are seriously considering a bid for Harry Kane, with the 29-year-old arguably at the peak of his powers and more of a direct replacement for Lewandowski.
Certainly, he would provide an obvious focal point in attack, while his clinical finishing and ability to drop deep and create space for runners like Mane and Gnabry would add a new dimension to Bayern’s offensive play.
The only issue here is the potential fee, with Kane under contract until 2024 and likely to command a transfer fee of around €100.
The Last Word
Harry Kane is priced at around 10/1 to join Bayern before the end of next summer, although this wager is no sounder than signing up to the GGpoker promo code.
After all, Munich have also been liked with Borussia Monchengladbach’s Marcus Thuram, while Juventus’ forward Dusan Vlahovic and Inter Milan’s Lautaro Martinez (along with Lille’s Jonathan David) have also been linked.
However, there’s no doubt that Kane would provide a readymade solution to Bayern’s profligacy in front of goal, while he could also prove to be a positive creative force in a side packed full of talent.
