The fact that Bayern Munich paid a nine-figure sum for Harry Kane has changed the dynamics of the transfer market.
This is the conclusion reached by European football expert Andy Brassell. He believes that although transfer fees are falling overall, clubs are also demanding more money for their players in the final year of their contracts.
4
In addition, more European clubs are now buying Premier League talent than ever before.
According to The Pitch Prospect, Chelsea are close to selling Conor Gallagher to Atletico Madrid for around £33 million, despite the midfielder being in the final year of his contract.
It follows a similar deal the Blues completed last year when they sold Mason Mount to Manchester United for a fee of up to £60 million, with the player’s contract at Chelsea again running for a year.
However, the most spectacular transfer that triggered this trend was Kane’s transfer from Tottenham to Bayern Munich in the summer of 2023.
After 19 years at Spurs, Kane moved to the Bundesliga with one year left on his contract for the incredible sum of over £100 million (including additional payments).
And Brassell believes that a deal like Gallagher’s to Atletico Madrid is a symptom of the trends set in motion by Kane’s move to Bayern.
He told Trans Euro Express: “We are seeing major European teams and even European teams at just below elite level buying from Premier League clubs.”
“This would never have happened six months ago, let alone a year ago, because they couldn’t afford it.
“Prices are coming down – that’s a big part of it. You see how much money these players are asking for and it’s a lot less, especially with teams that are trying to have free agency for PSR purposes, like Chelsea for example. They’re asking for lower transfer fees.
“Romelu Lukaku is being sold for less than the clause they set for him at Roma last year. Conor Gallagher is being sold for just over half of what they asked for him at Spurs last summer.
4
“Things are definitely going downhill here.”
And The Pitch Prospect presenter Danny Kelly, like Brassell, is convinced that Kane’s contract has changed the situation for players with expiring contracts – and that this could have a negative impact on Bayern in the long term.
He added: “[They did it] for a player whose contract still has a year to run.
“And that has now set the standard and so it happens that players are in the last year of their contract.
“People come to buy them, they’re used to getting them at bargain prices, and clubs say, ‘No, to us he’s worth £30 or £40 million.’
“Kane has changed the transfer market and, strangely enough, Bayern Munich are one of the teams that have suffered.
“They were so used to getting players for half price in the last year of their contract that they are now being told: ‘Well, wait a minute.'”
Brassell added: “It’s like the Eden Hazard deal (to Real Madrid) again.
“Something has really changed at Bayern – not just this year, but in recent years.
“If you look back five or six years, the record transfer in the history of the Bundesliga and Bayern Munich was Corentin Tolisso for £35 million.
“Since then they have bought Lucas Hernandez and Matthijs de Ligt, they have bought Kane, they have bought Michael Olise this summer, they have bought Joao Palhinha.
4
“These are significant fees and it really creates a can’t-fail situation. Plus, in their case, it means they’ll have to sell at some point. A – because of the fees and B – because of the labor costs.”
He added: “You see a situation where, until they change Leon Goretzka, De Ligt or Noussair Mazraoui, for example, [they will find further signings tough].”
Manchester United made an offer for De Ligt and Mazraoui, but it was rejected – something Bayern may have to come back to in the future.
He continued: “I’m sure Manchester United know the longer they wait, the more they’re going to say, ‘What are you going to do? You can’t keep taking these salaries for another six months or a year, you’re going to have to get rid of some of these guys.'”
This could also dash Bayern’s hopes of signing more stars, with both Desire Doue and Jonathan Tah in their sights.
Brassell added: “They already wanted Tah – he was already a champion at Bayer Leverkusen, but he only has a year left on his contract.”
“But they look at it and say, ‘We don’t want to pay the huge sums for him’, so at the moment they have offered, let’s say, €20 million/£17 million. Obviously it goes back to the Kane thing – Leverkusen are a clever player – ‘Are you kidding? We are champions. He won the league with us and didn’t lose a single league game last season!'”
4
While Kane’s transfer fee may have now caused further problems, Bayern could consider the money well spent given his incredible debut season.
He broke several records, including one that stood for 60 years in the Bundesliga, and also set a personal goalscoring record.
However, his long hunt for a trophy continues after a shocking year in which Bayern remained without a title for the first time in 12 years.
Bayer Leverkusen denied them the Bundesliga title, while Real Madrid knocked them out of the Champions League. They also suffered the embarrassment of being knocked out of the DFB Cup in the first round by third division side Saarbrücken.
Kane signed a four-year contract with Bayern last year, which expires in June 2027, when the striker will soon turn 34.