Harry Kane has extended his contract with FC Bayern through 2029, apparently becoming the highest-paid soccer player in Europe. According to reports, the English national team player will earn more than 30 million euros gross per year, including bonus payments. Nevertheless, the 33-year-old could actually become even more cost-effective for the German record champions than before. At least that’s what former Bayern director of football Michael Reschke claims.
In an interview with the tz, the 69-year-old discussed the contract extension of the reigning Ballon d’Or winner in detail. He arrived at a surprising conclusion: Despite the enormous salary, the annual financial burden on the Munich club could actually decrease.
The reason lies in the original transfer fee that FC Bayern paid to Tottenham Hotspur for Kane in the summer of 2023. This amount was spread out over the original contract term on the balance sheet. According to Reschke’s calculations, the new contract will eliminate a significant cost factor in the future.
Reschke explains: This is why Kane will be less expensive for Bayern
“Even if Kane earns a higher salary in the future, he won’t be more expensive for the club financially because FCB doesn’t have to pay a transfer fee for him,” Reschke explained.
The former Bayern official referred to the accounting treatment of the original transfer. “In Bayern’s books, the transfer fee has been fully amortized over the past four years and is therefore actually less costly than before,” the 69-year-old elaborated.
The background to this is the so-called amortization of the transfer fee. The costs of signing a player are generally spread out over the term of the contract for accounting purposes.
In Kane’s case, a four-year contract had originally been agreed upon through 2027. Due to the extension through 2029, the Munich club does not have to pay another transfer fee.
Reschke’s calculation thus refers to the annual accounting costs. Whether the actual financial burden decreases, however, also depends on the specific salary trends and the accounting treatment of the existing contract.
“There’s still a risk, but it’s calculable.”
In addition to the financial aspects, Reschke also commented on the Bayern striker’s athletic prospects.
Most recently, Sky expert Dietmar Hamann, among others, had criticized the long-term contract extension and warned of a significant risk given Kane’s age.
Reschke shares these concerns only to a limited extent. “The question of age naturally arises. But top players in particular can still deliver top performances even at an advanced age these days,” explained the former squad planner.
In particular, the professional support provided to today’s soccer stars plays a decisive role in this regard. “They are now supported so professionally by the club and also by their own staff—including chefs and physical therapists—that they simply have greater endurance. This is especially true for those who are very conscientious.”
For Reschke, Kane falls squarely into this category. “I consider Kane an absolute top professional. There’s still a risk, of course, but it’s a calculable one,” the 69-year-old clarified.
Kane is expected to lead Bayern to the Champions League title
For Reschke, however, the contract extension makes sense not only from a financial perspective.
Since his move to Munich, the Englishman has proven his exceptional quality. With two German championships and one DFB Cup victory, he has already celebrated several national titles.
The most important goal, however, remains to be achieved: winning the Champions League.
That is precisely where Kane is expected to play a decisive role in the coming years.
The “big goal” remains the Champions League, Reschke emphasized. “This success is unpredictable, but with Kane, you significantly increase the likelihood of winning this title.”
By extending his contract through 2029, Bayern has secured its most important goal-scorer for the long term. Whether the multi-million investment actually pays off will therefore likely depend on more than just Kane’s goal-scoring rate.
Above all, the key factor will be whether the Englishman can finally lead Munich back to the top of European soccer in the coming years.