Can Harry Kane Still Beat Alan Shearer's Premier League Goalscoring Record?
The England captain has been in blistering form since joining Bayern Munich. He scored 18 goals in his first 12 Bundesliga games. That already makes him the highest-scoring English player in the German league. Kevin Keegan (1978/79) and Jadon Sancho (2019/20) had both previously managed 17.But does Kane still have his sights set on the Premier League goalscoring record?
A move in search of silverware
It's no secret that Kane's move away from Spurs was driven by a desire to compete for top trophies. His exploits in front of goal have seen Bayern cement their place as favourites for the title. They're also the second-favourites to win the Champions League according to most sports betting markets.Manchester City currently sit as the favourites, but Bayern will take heart from City's patchy domestic form. When it comes to the business end of the season, that could be crucial. With the league already in the bag, Kane and Co will fancy their chances of picking up Europe's premier trophy. The way each side's domestic form has been working out, Bayern look more likely to win their league soonest.
A four-year deal at 30
Even if Kane does plan on a return to England, he'll likely play Bundesliga football for at least two years. Having signed a four-year deal, a single season seems unlikely. Then there's the issue of the potential transfer fee. After all, Bayern paid big money to lure the England strike to the Allianz Arena.If they sell, they'll want to recoup as much of that £100 million as possible. There's no guarantee the clubs willing and able to pay the astronomical fees will be able to guarantee him game time at the age of 32.
Kane is a player who has always looked after his body, but he's also had two significant injuries in his career. Whether he'll still be playing into his late thirties is debatable.
So, is there enough time for him to win trophies at Bayern, return to England and beat Shearer's record?
Crunching the numbers
Harry Kane scored 213 Premier League goals in 320 appearances for Spurs. Once established in the team under Mauricio Pochettino, he averaged 34 league appearances per season.If he continued to play as many games and score at the same rate, it would take him just over two seasons to score 48 goals. That may seem plausible. If we assume he rejoins a successful Ange Postecoglou-led Spurs team, he'd expect to get plenty of chances.
But returning to the toughest league in the world at the age of 32 may require his game time to be managed. This could also result in a different type of role. We saw Harry Kane dropping deeper in his later years at Spurs - potentially, that type of role might suit him better in the twilight era of his career. However, while it might benefit the team's prospects overall, it would restrict goal-scoring opportunities.
Would joining a different club be the answer? Not necessarily. At a top club like Manchester City, game time would be limited. At a lower club, he might play every game as a centre forward, but his chances would be fewer. In either case, chasing down that record looks a tough ask.
Harry Kane is undoubtedly one of the Premier League's all-time greats. At one time, Alan Shearer's record looked under threat. His move to Germany appears to have severely diminished that threat. But in sports, you should never say never.
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