In the summer of 2023, FC Bayern made one of the most spectacular transfers in the club’s history with the signing of Harry Kane. The England international striker was supposed to be nothing less than the missing piece of the puzzle to permanently raise the record champions‘ attack to world-class level. But behind the scenes, the mind games apparently went even further
As transfer insider Christian Falk has revealed, those responsible at Säbener Straße asked themselves a fundamental question in the course of the Kane-Poker: Is a single superstar really enough to sustainably realign Munich’s attack? In this context, another name also emerged internally that would have caused a stir at the time – Julian Álvarez
Bayern were looking for the perfect offensive solution
The Argentine was still under contract with Manchester City at the time and had just completed a season that underlined his exceptional quality. In the 2022-23 season, Álvarez had over 2,500 minutes of action across all competitions and was directly involved in 22 goals. Despite these strong numbers, his role in Pep Guardiola’s star ensemble was not without controversy. With Erling Haaland as the undisputed number 1 in the center of attack, Álvarez was often left with the role of a teammate – or a substitute
It was precisely this circumstance that apparently made him interesting for Bayern. Internally, they are said to have examined whether Álvarez could be an ideal addition or even a long-term alternative with his profile – agile, strong, press-resistant and at the same time dangerous in goal. How concrete these considerations were remains open, but one thing is clear: they existed
Kane-Poker tied up all resources
In the end, these thoughts came to nothing, mainly due to the Kane transfer itself. The negotiations with Tottenham Hotspur developed into a tough power struggle that dragged on for weeks and tied up enormous resources. An agreement was only reached in August, after Bayern were prepared to dig deep into their pockets
Around 95 million euros flowed to London, including bonus payments, the transfer fee could rise to up to 120 million euros. This meant that the financial leeway was almost exhausted – and the focus of the sporting management was clearly defined. Kane was not only to be the new centre-forward, but the face of the attack
In sporting terms, this decision paid off. Kane immediately became the defining factor in Bayern’s attacking play, scoring goals non-stop and justifying the investment with consistent top performances. The debate as to whether another striker of this calibre was needed quickly died down
Julian Álvarez, meanwhile, opened another chapter. In 2024, the world champion moved to Atlético Madrid for around €75 million, where he impressed particularly in his initial phase and quickly took on a central role. The potential Munich double striker of Kane and Álvarez thus remained a theoretical idea – an ambitious pipe dream that never found its way into reality
In retrospect, however, history shows just how big Bayern’s plans actually were in the summer of 2023. Kane was the final step – Álvarez the vision that remained unspoken.