Former Bayern Munich and Germany midfielder Dietmar Hamann has urged the Bundesliga champions to reconsider a reported early contract extension for Harry Kane, labelling the idea "madness" despite the star striker's incredible form. The club legend warned that Kane's age and defensive workload pose a risk, and he fears Bayern could suffer a mid-season collapse.
Hamann slams timing of proposed new contract
Despite the England captain's phenomenal goalscoring form, Hamann believes offering a new deal to the 32-year-old would be a serious misstep, citing concerns over his age and long-term impact.
He strongly advised against the club's apparent plan to extend Kane's contract, which is not due to expire until June 2027. Hamann was unequivocal in his assessment of the situation, questioning the logic of renegotiating with more than a year and a half still remaining on the current agreement.
"That would be madness. He'll be 34 when the contract expires," Hamann said on . "You can't extend a contract that still has 20 months to run. It would be madness."
The former Liverpool player also cast doubt on Kane's ability to consistently deliver against the very best opposition. "At the European Championship, England won their games when Kane came off," he said. "Whether he scores against the best teams like Paris Saint-Germain or Arsenal remains to be seen."
AdvertisementGetty Images SportConcerns raised over Kane's defensive workload
Kane's incredible start to life in Bavaria has been built on more than just goals. His all-round contribution and work rate have been widely praised, particularly his defensive efforts in the crucial 2-1 victory over Borussia Dortmund on Saturday. However, Hamann sees this as a potential negative, warning that it could detract from the striker's primary role.
"It shouldn't become common practice for Kane to slide tackle 20 meters from his own goal," the 52-year-old warned. "The first thing that could suffer is that he stops scoring goals." This concern comes despite Kane opening the scoring in the 22nd minute of that very match, a result which sent Bayern seven points clear at the top of the Bundesliga.
Bayern's perfect start not enough to convince Hamann
While Vincent Kompany's side have enjoyed a flawless start to the season, winning all eleven of their competitive matches, Hamann remains cautious. He pointed to last season's dip in form after a strong start as a reason to temper expectations and warned that the team's high-energy style may not be sustainable with a small squad.
"They're still the team that runs the most in the Bundesliga. That has little to do with efficiency," said Hamann. "We'll see whether they can keep it up with the small squad they have… The awards will be handed out in April and May. They played good football last fall as well, but after that, it became less and less. That's why I'm cautious with superlatives." He even claimed that Bayern were "standing knocked out" during the final 25 minutes against Dortmund.
Kane the best?
Kane’s career statistics highlight his status as one of the most prolific strikers of his generation. The vast majority of his career was spent at Tottenham, where he became the club's all-time top scorer with 280 goals in 435 appearances, 213 of which came in the Premier League. Since transferring to Bayern Munich in 2023, Kane has maintained a phenomenal strike rate, netting 104 goals in just 107 games. His dominance in Germany includes 74 goals in 70 Bundesliga matches. In the Champions League, he holds a combined 44 goals across 59 appearances for both clubs. For England, Kane is his nation's all-time top scorer, finding the net 76 times in 110 caps.