Barcelona have enjoyed much success by pinning their goalscoring hopes to a veteran striker in the twilight of his career in Robert Lewandowski—and are increasingly tipped to try and replicate that with the signing of Harry Kane.
Lewandowski was about to turn 34 when he arrived at Camp Nou in 2022, having found the net 344 times in 375 appearances for Bayern Munich.
Barcelona agreed to a transfer fee worth up to €50 million ($57.6 million) and handed the Pole a four-year contract to 2026, but have been rewarded for that faith. Into the final season of the arrangement, 37-year-old Lewandowski has scored 108 goals in 159 games, winning five trophies.
Amid the likely possibility that Lewandowski does not stay beyond the end of his contract, Mundo Deportivo writes that a new striker is the priority in the transfer market next summer.
Julián Álvarez is considered an ideal target, but his long-term contract with Atlético Madrid and their reluctance to sell make pursuing the Argentine difficult. That is why the idea of going after Kane instead has been “gaining ground” in the corridors of power at Camp Nou.
There is perhaps no better striker in the world right now. Kane has scored 23 goals in just 17 appearances for Bayern this season, taking his overall tally for the club to 108 in not even two-and-a-half years. He will turn 33 in July, but the England captain is known to be a super dedicated professional and has arguably been enjoying his best ever form since turning 29. Careers no longer end at 35.
In many ways, Kane would be a very similar transfer to Lewandowski if Barça can make it happen.
Harry Kane’s Release Clause
One of the attractive things about Kane is a fixed and affordable release clause. The amount Barcelona would have to pay is just €65 million, considered good value compared to what Liverpool have spent this past summer on Alexander Isak and are yet to see any reward. Even Hugo Ekitiké cost the Premier League side more, while Erling Haaland would be vastly expensive and unaffordable.
The catch is that reports suggest the release clause will only become active if Kane himself asks for it to be so, also with sufficient notice given to Bayern in advance of the summer.
Publicly, Kane is very committed to the Bavarian giants. In the same breath last month, he also all but ruled out ever returning to former club Tottenham Hotspur.
“I’m not sure [if I’ll go back],” Kane said in the recent interview when quizzed on Spurs. “I’m very happy here in Munich. [Leaving] is not something I’m thinking about. It’ll always be ‘we’ [with Spurs] because I spent my whole life there. I’m a fan of them and will always watch them and see how they’re getting on. They will always be a part of my life for sure but as for now, I’m loving it here.”
Bayern Munich Is Kane’s ‘Second Home’
“We’ve got a great chance for all the trophies this year,” he continued.
“Whenever you start a season with Bayern, you’re favourites. We haven’t had great cup runs since I’ve been here so we want to try and put that right,” Kane explained. “Then in the Champions League, it’s still early stages but ultimately it’s about trying to win the competition. And going into the World Cup, you want to be at your best.
“Bayern are known around Europe every year as one of the best and one of the favourites to win the Champions League. I wanted to test myself at that level and I’ve loved it on and off the pitch. It feels like my second home now. I’m enjoying every moment of it and hopefully it continues.”
READ THE LATEST TRANSFER NEWS AND RUMORS FROM WORLD SOCCER
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Why Barcelona Transfer Roads in 2026 Point to England Star.
