Sports
Harry Kane is tearing up the Bundesliga at Bayern Munich. What’s next for England’s No. 9?
The 2020 documentary “All or Nothing: Tottenham Hotspur” provided a revealing glimpse into Harry Kane‘s psyche. In a one-on-one chat with then-manager Jose Mourinho, Kane said: “When you’re at a club like Tottenham, we’ve done well and I’ve done well, but I want to be [Cristiano Ronaldo] or [Lionel Messi].”
Some might have scoffed at the English striker’s ambition as shown on screen, but despite the constant change after Mauricio Pochettino’s departure as Spurs manager in 2019, Kane’s brilliant numbers never waned. His blistering start to the 2025-26 campaign with Bayern Munich (18 goals in 10 matches), is on par with Messi and Ronaldo.
Take a deeper look at his overall game, however, and his gaudy scoring stats are just scratching the surface. He has never been more influential in the buildup phase of play. The goals remain a constant, but he now plays a role at the start, middle and end of Bayern’s attacks. Kane is evolving, and that evolution is contributing to perhaps his best season yet.
With Saturday’s Der Klassiker vs. Borussia Dortmund on the horizon (12:30 p.m. ET, ESPN+), let’s examine how his role has changed from his days at Spurs, what it could mean for England at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, and his future at the club level.
Filling a Musiala-shaped hole
When star midfielder Jamal Musiala picked up an injury during the Club World Cup, it left a creative void. Kane has taken up the mantle.
“When Jamal’s playing, it’s a bit different. Getting the ball off defenders, driving, when we were playing together, it was better for him to go and do that,” Kane explained after Bayern’s win over Eintracht Frankfurt. “This season, it’s allowed me to play a little bit deeper, use my qualities in that sense of turning and playing it forward, then arriving later in the box.”
The goal he scored in that game saw Kane occupy Frankfurt’s defensive line before peeling back close to Joshua Kimmich just ahead of the center circle. When the ball was played up to Serge Gnabry near the edge of the penalty area, the striker moved forward from the middle of the pitch, slotting into a gap created by him initially dropping for a trademark finish from outside the box.
But Kane’s game is about more than just arriving late to score goals. He’s now a crucial cog in Bayern’s buildup, often seen deep in his own half to receive the ball from his own defense.
In the ninth minute of the same game, Kane received the ball near the sideline in the left-back position, wriggled past two challengers and found Gnabry in space.
The surprising thing is how much of a regularity such Luka Modric-esque moves are becoming. Players get sucked into following Kane so far into Bayern’s half that he can find another attacker in space as he holds the ball up.
He initiates the moves, and he completes them. Both his inevitable goal scoring and his playmaking ability are thriving as a result.
How Kane’s game has evolved
Kane was always more than a goal poacher: it just took some time to discover his alternative capabilities.
At the beginning of his career and in his first two seasons in Germany, Kane’s game centered on creating chances or scoring them, but mainly scoring. He amassed many shots and touches in the box under Pochettino, and shades of his ball-carrying and ability to bring others into the game appeared near the end of his Tottenham Hotspur spell.
Kane’s heat map from his last two seasons at Tottenham, depicting where he was most active, helps show how his game has changed. More color appears in his own half, near the center circle, or in half-spaces (the channels between center backs and fullbacks) away from goal.
In his first two seasons at Bayern Munich, his actions took place almost entirely in the opponent’s half, as he leaned more into his talents as a finisher.
Looking at Kane’s heat map for the 2025-26 season, spots emerge all over the pitch, with highlighted areas deep in his own half.
Statistics show that this season, Kane is back to combining the best of his abilities as an attacker and a creator. His progressive passes are as high as they were in 2021-22 and 2023-24, while he has never had more touches in his own box than this season.
It’s clearly working. “Arriving late,” as Kane puts it, has seen his expected assists and shot-creating actions rise. He has provided a solution to Bayern’s shortage of creativity in midfield, as Kimmich and Leon Goretzka aren’t the most inventive midfielders. (All stats below are per 90 minutes.)
His link-up play, hold-up ability and chance-creating talents were underrated during his time in north London, but in Bavaria, that part of his game has been elevated. It is now being used in spaces where you’d typically see Kimmich, and it’s the absolute best of both worlds.
Looking ahead to the World Cup
Kane, England and coach Thomas Tuchel will be determined to get their hands on an elusive trophy this summer, and they shouldn’t be afraid to use the “new” Harry Kane to do so. Ominously for the rest of the competition, England might have started doing this already.
Against Serbia, while he spent most of the game occupying their back five, Kane would often peel off and look for the ball deeper.
In the early stages of the World Cup, Tuchel could opt for Kane in this role to break teams down. With Kane dragging a center back of out of position, faster players such as Anthony Gordon or Bukayo Saka can be played in behind. In the latter stages (should England reach them), England might have less of the ball and use him more like a target man, as they did in the first minute of the Serbia game when a long ball was sent into the box for Kane to nod down.
Kane’s versatility could unlock defenses that sit deep and elevate other attackers. However, he still needs to be the striker who gets into the box, as there isn’t another striker in the national side with his finishing ability. Lucky for England, he can do both. The conundrum for Tuchel will be balancing both roles.
What’s next at club level?
With Kane’s Bayern Munich contract set to expire in 2027, both club and player are thinking about what happens next. Bayern’s sporting director has hinted at an extension, and the longer a new contract isn’t signed, the more rumors and conjecture will swirl.
We’ve taken the liberty of looking ahead for Kane, and his next step could be to settle unfinished business in England. Kane has played down a return home, but the motive would be clear: to break Alan Shearer’s goal-scoring record (260; Kane has 213) and attempt to win a Premier League title.
– Darke: Tuchel’s tough love on Bellingham could help England and the player at World Cup
– Ogden: Premier League big issues: Will Amorim, Ange last? Is Salah fading?
– Connelly: The best teams in Europe right now: Bayern, Kane setting the tone
Manchester City have Erling Haaland, and unless a team comes along to sign him out of his massive contract, he won’t be displaced. But what if manager Pep Guardiola combined Haaland and Kane?
Guardiola likes to play with four attackers and one holding midfielder behind Haaland, but those four attackers float around the pitch. One of those players could be Kane, as defenses wouldn’t know who to mark.
The downside could be that it exacerbates some of the out-of-possession issues City have had in their press this season. The forward line has left huge gaps as City have pressed aggressively. Kane isn’t a bad presser, but if he’s asked to drop deeper, we have no evidence to suggest whether his work without the ball would be sufficient in this new position, particularly in terms of tackling and closing players down.
Teams are smart about exploiting space. Guardiola couldn’t have both players pressing as forwards. Still, most of City’s game will be played with them dictating the tempo, so the focus will be on what Kane brings in possession. It’s inventive, but with Guardiola, it’s wild enough to work.
In terms of other Premier League clubs, Liverpool have signed three attackers and are trying to figure out how they fit. Arsenal are ruled out because of Kane’s Spurs allegiance, which leaves a possible romantic return to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. After getting a taste of his first piece of silverware, though, Kane returning to his old club or moving to Chelsea or Manchester United would be a step down.
Elsewhere in Europe, with the lack of funds in Serie A, Kane’s next challenge could be tackling LaLiga with Real Madrid or Barcelona. Neither the Catalan giants nor Real Madrid have a pure No. 9 with a physical and aerial presence, besides Robert Lewandowski at Barcelona, whose contract expires in summer 2026. Since Joselu left Real Madrid, Los Blancos have missed the player, as Thibaut Courtois highlighted last season. “We put in a lot of crosses, but this year we don’t have Joselu, a natural striker up front,” he said after being knocked out of the Champions League by Arsenal.
Coach Xabi Alonso has a vast array of talent in attack that he likes to rotate. Adding Kane would give the Spaniard an even bigger selection headache. The Bayern forward isn’t accustomed to that, and Lewandowski’s expiring contract and Kylian Mbappé‘s tremendous form make Barcelona a more attractive option. It’s hard to envision Kane combining with Lamine Yamal, Raphinha and Pedri and not being successful, as Barça create plenty but are often wasteful in front of goal. As the starting striker, Kane would be a perfect fit in Barcelona’s swaggering attack.
A longer stay in Munich?
With his current form, ability and profile as one of the world’s best players, Kane is a suitable fit for a club that challenges for a league title and the Champions League every season. It’s why he says he’s open to a new contract with Bayern Munich.
“In terms of staying longer [at Bayern], I could definitely see that,” he said Oct. 6. “I spoke openly a couple of weeks ago that I have not had those conversations with Bayern yet, but if they were to arise I would be willing to talk and have an honest conversation.”
Despite being a tantalizing prospect for many clubs, Kane has repeatedly spoken of how happy he is in Germany — maybe to the point where he himself didn’t expect to enjoy it this much.
The feeling has always been that he would eventually return to England, but after winning his first Bundesliga title, it’s clear his focus is on winning as much as possible in Bavaria. With the astonishing way he has adapted to his new role, who’s to say he couldn’t extend his contract and become a Bayern Munich legend?
GREEN BAY, Wis. — The Green Bay Packers are keeping Matt LaFleur as head coach, sources told ESPN on Saturday.
He has signed a multiyear contract extension that a source said is “not a prove-it deal but a real commitment.”
The two sides met early in the week to discuss the future direction of the organization. They were joined by general manager Brian Gutekunst and vice president/director of football operations Russ Ball, and the first order of business was to make sure they had the right threesome in place.
Once they all agreed to move forward, LaFleur’s contract was the first order of business. It didn’t take long, and the deal was agreed to on Friday evening and signed on Saturday. Deals for Gutekunst and Ball are also in the works, sources said.
It was the first major decision by new team president Ed Policy, who took over in July for Mark Murphy. It was Murphy who hired LaFleur in 2019 to replace Super Bowl-winning coach Mike McCarthy.
The Packers are keeping their organizational structure in place even with the new extensions, sources said, as Gutekunst and LaFleur will continue to report to Policy.
The Packers lost in the wild-card round of the playoffs for the second straight season, but this time it was in a devastating fashion. Not only did they blow an 18-point halftime lead and give up 25 points in the fourth quarter, but they did it against the rival Chicago Bears.
LaFleur and Policy spoke briefly on the plane ride home from Chicago after the loss and then again after they returned to Green Bay to discuss the coach’s future.
LaFleur had one year left on the contract extension he signed in 2022. He would not say whether he would be willing to coach the 2026 season without a contract extension, but he reiterated that he would prefer to remain as the Packers’ coach even though he would likely be a top candidate for other NFL head coaching jobs.
“This is one-of-one,” LaFleur said Sunday when he met reporters the day after the season ended. “I love this place. I love the people. … I love our players, the locker room, everybody in our organization. I mean, this is a unique place. The community has been outstanding.
“I’ve lived in other places, so I think this is a unique place, and it’s a special place. My kids love it here; my family loves it here.”
Policy said last summer that he would prefer not to have a coach or general manager work into the final year of their contract, but at that time also said he was not ready to offer any extensions.
“I’m generally opposed — I’d never say never — [but] I’m generally opposed to a coach or GM going into the last year of their contract,” Policy said last June, shortly before he officially took over as president. “That creates a lot of issues. I think normally you have a pretty good idea of where that relationship is going when you have two years left — not always, but normally.
“So I think generally speaking I would avoid lame-duck status. It’s oftentimes difficult on everybody involved. But there are certain situations that probably call for it, so I would not say never.”
That ramped up the pressure on the 2025 season, which ended with five straight losses.
LaFleur has a 76-40-1 regular-season record as the Packers’ coach, the fourth-highest winning percentage (.654) among all active NFL head coaches, and his 76 wins tied for second most in NFL history by a coach in their first seven seasons.
LaFleur received a strong vote of confidence from quarterback Jordan Love after Saturday’s loss.
“I definitely think Matt should be the head coach,” Love said. “I’ve got a lot of love for Matt, and I think he does a good job. And that’s it.”
The Packers have made the playoffs in all but one of LaFleur’s seven seasons. However, after posting three straight 13-win seasons and going to two NFC Championship Games, LaFleur is 37-30-1 over the past four seasons with only one playoff win — a wild-card game in the 2023 season.
LaFleur was hired in 2019 in part to get Aaron Rodgers back to an MVP level, and that’s exactly what happened. Rodgers won the award twice (2020 and 2021) under LaFleur. He also was charged with developing Love, who three seasons into his starting career appears to be Green Bay’s franchise quarterback.
LaFleur came to the Packers after one season as playcaller with the Tennessee Titans. Before that, he was part of the Kyle Shanahan-Sean McVay coaching family.
Perhaps the biggest issue during LaFleur’s tenure was his hiring of coordinators. He fired four coordinators in his first five seasons. He retained defensive coordinator Mike Pettine from previous coach Mike McCarthy’s staff but moved on after two seasons. Pettine’s replacement, Joe Barry, lasted three seasons before LaFleur hired Jeff Hafley in 2024. LaFleur also had three different special teams coordinators. Rich Bisaccia has been in that position since 2022 after LaFleur fired Shawn Mennenga after two seasons and Mo Drayton after one.
LaFleur said he expects to lose Hafley to a head coaching job but would not say whether he planned to make any other coaching changes.
Liverpool have completed the signing of North Carolina Courage captain and Republic of Ireland international Denise O’Sullivan, the clubs announced Saturday.
The 31-year-old midfielder departs as the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) club’s all-time appearance leader after playing in 186 games during her nine seasons in North Carolina.
O’Sullivan now joins a Liverpool team that sits bottom of the Women’s Super League (WSL), without a win in 12 matches.
“It means a lot. It’s a very proud moment for myself and also for my family, who are now only a 40-minute flight away,” O Sullivan told Liverpool’s website.
“Liverpool is a massive club and I think when you join a club as big as Liverpool it comes with massive responsibility and I can’t wait to get to work and to give 100 per cent every day.”
After joining North Carolina in its inaugural NWSL season, O’Sullivan played a part in winning seven league trophies — three Shields, two Championships and two Challenge Cups.
She had been named captain ahead of the 2023 season.
“It’s hard to put into words what this club has truly meant to me,” O’Sullivan said in a statement from the Courage. “North Carolina will always be my home, and I’m forever grateful to the Club, my teammates, and the incredible fans who supported and believed in me every step of the way,”
“I’m on to a new challenge now, but I’ll always be a part of Courage Country. From the bottom of my heart, thank you for everything.”
The arrival of O’Sullivan, who has won 128 caps with Ireland, comes a day after Liverpool announced the loan signing of Martha Thomas from Tottenham.
The Scotland international, who joined Spurs from Manchester United in 2023, has agreed to move to Liverpool for the remainder of the season.
PA contributed to this report.
After delivering a sweeping indictment that led to the arrest of 26 individuals and busted open a college basketball point-shaving scheme that tainted dozens of games over the past two seasons, U.S. Attorney David Metcalf delivered some perspective.
“There has been a spate of these gambling cases recently,” Metcalf said. “I will say that the evidence in this case shows that the monetization of college athletics, through the liberalization and proliferation of sports betting markets, as well as the normalization of compensation in athletics, furthered the enterprise …
“But it’s complicated, right?” Metcalf continued. “As we allege in the indictment, certain players were targeted because they were somewhat missing out on NIL money and they were being targeted so they could supplement their NIL compensation.
“Whether or not they would have done or not done a particular crime based on whether other athletes were being paid, I don’t know.”
Metcalf and his colleagues out of the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, not to mention the FBI, appear to have done stellar work here.
Each defendant is presumed innocent in a court of law, but anyone from the court of public opinion who reads the 70-page indictment would likely concede that evidence of malfeasance is strong.
Too many participants to maintain a conspiracy, too much money wagered on obscure games to remain under the radar and way, way too many incriminating text messages.
Some of the athletes might have had their priorities warped by legalized sports wagering and the fact that college athletes can cash in on big bucks these days through name, image and likeness.
As Metcalf smartly noted, though, it’s complicated.
And not an excuse.
If what the indictment alleges is true, then every athlete involved deliberately violated well-known laws, instinctual competitive concepts and the core bonds of team play that are present from D-I basketball down to a random 2-on-2 game at the park.
You don’t need to receive the extensive education that the NCAA provides, lectures from coaches or posters in the locker room to know what’s right and what’s wrong here.
No one should try to cry that they are a victim of a changing society. The proliferation of gambling apps or the fact that some kid at Duke or Kentucky is making millions doesn’t justify bricking a bunch of shots in the first half for a kickback.
NIL gets blamed for nearly everything in college sports these days. Can we spare it from this at least?
This is about personal accountability. This is about consciously choosing alleged criminal behavior.
That’s it.
While it is likely easier to rope in a player who doesn’t have a lucrative NIL deal, recent gambling scandals have caught up NBA and MLB players making millions as well.
That’s just society — there are more than a few doctors and lawyers and Wall Street types shuffling around the prison yard.
And yes, legalized sports wagering is prevalent these days, in your face everywhere you turn, including on ESPN.
So what?
Whether legalized betting is helping or hurting here is, in Metcalf’s terms, complicated.
The increased outlets for placing bets certainly help central figures such as Shane Hennen or Marves Fairley to allegedly wager major sums on minor games — such as $458,000 across multiple sportsbooks on a 2024 Towson-North Carolina A&T contest.
In the old days, you had to walk into a Las Vegas sportsbook to make that bet. It would have been immediately rejected. Whatever amount would have been allowed, probably wouldn’t have been worth rigging the outcome.
That said, the ever-increasing integrity efforts of sportsbooks, not to mention sophisticated state and federal regulators, no doubt played a role in flagging these schemes and then leading authorities to the charges.
Point shaving isn’t new. It was just traditionally done by organized crime to impact illegal, underground betting. That operated largely in the dark, with no protections and few prosecutions.
Legalized betting may have made these schemes easier to pull off, but also easier to bust. It, in turn, should serve as a cautionary tale.
This case isn’t about legalized sports wagering or NIL deals.
It’s about, per the feds’ narrative, a clumsy group of game-fixers convincing individual players to selfishly betray their common sense, their education on existing laws, their teammates, coaches and parents and a dream opportunity to play scholarship basketball in an effort to make a quick extra buck.
They screwed up a great deal to chase a bad one.
That part isn’t complicated.
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