Bayern hail Kane after prolific start: ‘He can do anything’

Bayern Munich striker Harry Kane arrived in Germany in a record transfer and his sensational goal streak this season has already exceeded expectations and made him an instant fan favorite.

Kane joined Bayern from Tottenham in August for a Bundesliga record fee of €100 million, with the German champions desperate to bring in an experienced goalscorer to close the goal gap created by the departure. Robert Lewandowski’s last year at Barcelona.

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Kane, England’s all-time men’s top scorer and the Premier League’s second all-time goalscorer, has taken over and has already scored 21 goals in 15 Bundesliga and Champions League matches for Bayern.

“It’s impressive,” said Bayern sporting director Christoph Freund after Saturday’s double in the 4-2 victory over Heidenheim.

“He’s playing outside the UK for the first time and then he scores like that. The team also puts him in position. He’s a phenomenon.”

Kane’s two goals on Saturday took his tally to 17 in 11 games, setting a league record for most goals at this stage, beating Lewandowski’s previous mark of 16.

Kane already has more goals after 11 Bundesliga matches than last season’s top scorers did in the entire campaign.

“I can’t tell you anything different,” Bayern coach Thomas Tuchel said of Kane’s goal on Saturday. “Shows tell a story. There’s no need for words.”

Kane has also scored four times in four Champions League group matches, with Bayern already securing a place in the last 16 with two matches remaining.

Highlights of this season include his 60-yard looping shot from Bayern’s half in the 8-0 demolition of Darmstadt 98, undoubtedly a candidate for goal of the season.

He also scored a hat-trick in last week’s 4-0 win over title rivals Borussia Dortmund, the first player to achieve such a feat on his team. Classic beginning.

“I believe he can do anything,” said Bayern teammate Thomas Müller. “We just need to get him in position. If he can get a shot close to or inside the box, there’s a good chance the ball will go in.”

Club bosses are also delighted with Kane’s goal bonanza, saying the move was the right one for Bayern and for title-hungry Kane.

“Absolutely fantastic,” said Bayern CEO Jan-Christian Dreesen. “Obviously, we are happy when things work so well, to have also been partly responsible for this transfer. I hope it continues like this.”

Kane’s exploits have also forced some critics of the transfer to do an about-face. Among them is former Germany international Didi Hamann who initially expressed doubts about Kane’s effectiveness in the Bundesliga.

“I never thought he would score such a goal,” Hamann told Bild newspaper. “I mean, he hasn’t signed for three months but for four years and he’s getting some really good balls from his teammates.”

“But it’s still impressive because he’s one of the few strikers who doesn’t have that much speed. But it shows how intelligent he is as a player. Bayern did everything right. It’s a phenomenon.”