Bayern Munich are 'in love' with Tottenham Hotspur's Harry Kane but the North London club regard him as 'untouchable'.
That's according to transfer journalist Fabrizio Romano, speaking to Caught Offside.
The lowdown
Bayern CEO Oliver Kahn has publicly set out his ambition to sign a 'brilliant striker' in Kane, while manager Julian Nagelsmann says he could 'score a lot in the Bundesliga' and teased that 'we'll see what happens in the future' (via TEAMtalk).
These comments elicited an angry reaction from Spurs boss Antonio Conte, who accused the Bundesliga champions of being 'disrespectful'.
Bayern have just lost Robert Lewandowski to Barcelona in a £42.5million deal after the Pole informed them that he would not be extending his contract, due to expire in 2023 (via Sky Sports).
Lewandowski reached 30 league goals in five of his eight seasons with the club, even managing 41 in the 2020/21 season.
The latest
Nagelsmann agrees with the Bayern board that Kane could match Lewandowski's numbers in a Bayern shirt, and so they dream about signing him.
However, Spurs will refuse to even negotiate, instead looking to tie the player down to a new contract.
And Kane himself is '100% happy' at the club, with a great deal of faith in Antonio Conte's project.
"A lot has been said about Harry Kane and Bayern Munich, and it's certainly true that Bayern are in love with Harry Kane. Julian Nagelsmann and the board consider him one of the few strikers ready to guarantee as many goals as Robert Lewandowski," Romano said.
"However, this is not even a topic or a negotiation right now. Tottenham will not be negotiating for Kane this summer and there has never been any chance. Harry is untouchable and will play for Tottenham. The club's idea is to negotiate a new contract in the coming months.
"Tottenham look like a completely different club now thanks to Antonio Conte and Fabio Paratici; the work of both is also helping Kane who is 100% happy with the Spurs project."
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The verdict
You can see why Kahn and Nageslmann are so excited by the mere prospect. Kane has averaged 22.5 goals across his last eight Premier League seasons, and though that's a bracket below Lewandowski, it's worth noting that he's playing in a tougher division.
UEFA rank the Premier League as the strongest in Europe, while the Bundesliga only sits in fourth.
But it may well remain a fantasy for the Bavarians, with Kane seemingly encouraged by the business Spurs have done off the back of sealing their return to the Champions League.
The Lilywhites have recruited six new players in the form of Richarlison, Yves Bissouma, Djed Spence, Ivan Perisic, Clement Lenglet and Fraser Forster.
And in truth, Bayern may not even need a new striker, with their new signing Sadio Mane demonstrating last season at Liverpool that he could thrive as a centre-forward.