If the disparity between Bavarian and north London valuations can be closed, Harry Kane will surpass Bayern Munich’s previous club record transfer of €80 million (£69 million, $88 million) for French defender Lucas Hernandez in 2019.
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For the German record champions, paying over €100 million for a 30-year-old striker is unprecedented. As honorary chairman Uli Hoeness loved to say, they have prided themselves on being frugal and immune to the “madness” of the international transfer market. However, this summer’s lack of center-forward options has forced them to go further than they had originally intended. The difference between the two clubs as of Monday was roughly £25 million ($32 million; €29.2 million).
But from a strictly financial standpoint, it’s actually a fairly simple move for one of the richest sides in the world. Bayern earned €665 million in revenue last season, largely from advertising partnerships (€224 million) and match-day and Champions League revenue (€159 million), while getting less than €100 million in TV money from the Bundesliga, a pittance compared to clubs of comparable stature in the Premier League.
It can be challenging for non-Germans to comprehend the scope of Bayern’s significance and appeal; they are comparable to Manchester United and Liverpool combined, and they rule the continent’s largest nation in both a sports and economic sense. They have 300,000 dues-paying members and a comparable number of fans in recognized fan clubs.
