The Debate Football Can't Ignore: Should He Come Back for Shearer's Throne?

The Debate Football Can't Ignore: Should He Come Back for Shearer's Throne?

Harry Kane broke into the Spurs first team in 2014 and has not stopped firing since. Whether it's for Tottenham, Bayern Munich or England, Kane has proven that he will score wherever he goes.

Now 32, the Englishman is arguably in the form of his life and seemingly getting more prolific, if that is even possible.

After lifting the Bundesliga trophy last season, a huge weight has been lifted, and people are starting to ask: Is there unfinished business back home?

We assess what's next for England's record scorer. Does he stay in Bavaria to add to his trophy collection, or does he come home to break Alan Shearer's longstanding Premier League goals record, while potentially making a dream return to Spurs in the process?

The Continent's Best Bagsman

Kane joined Bayern Munich at the start of the 2023/24 season, a move that raised eyebrows in England, but Kane was eager to prove himself abroad, and boy, has he done that.

The England captain has played 105 times for the Bundesliga giants and has scored an eye-watering 102 goals, chipping in with 29 assists in that time.

We know that football is a cruel business where most players get thrown on the scrapheap when they turn 30. Not Kane, though.

To start the season, he has broken the record for the quickest to reach 20 goal contributions to start a new campaign. Kane has surpassed the record set by Lionel Messi, no less, in 2011. It has taken 742 minutes for him to reach this milestone, which equates to just over eight games.

Harry Kane became the fastest player from Europe's top 5 leagues to reach 20 goal contributions for a club at the start of a season, beating Lionel Messi's record, which he set in his Ballon d'Or winning year 11/12 [@Transfermarkt] pic.twitter.com/lBF7SUzmJ5

— Bayern & Germany (@iMiaSanMia) October 1, 2025

There can be no "but it's the Bundesliga" arguments. Kane has also scored four in two games to start the Champions League this season and bagged three at the recent Club World Cup.

Goals are the most important thing in football, and currently, Kane is the best player at getting them.

Options, Options, Options

Why would Kane want to leave a Champions League-challenging team, where he scores goals for fun?

This is a valid question. And honestly, he may be more than happy to continue his Bavarian brilliance, but let's hypothesise for a moment.

Kane played 435 times for Tottenham and established himself as arguably the club's greatest player ever. Though even after all that time, he could never be the one to deliver them a trophy.

Now that both parties have ended their search for silverware, does it open the door for a dream return to North London? And for Kane personally, he will surely be desperate to claim Alan Shearer's throne of the Premier League's all-time leading goalscorer.

🚨👀 Thomas Frank on Harry Kane and possigle return to Spurs links: “I think there’s a lot of Tottenham fans including myself who would like to see Kane back”.

“If Harry wants to join us, he’s more than welcome”. pic.twitter.com/5Vxx39IKXI

— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) September 23, 2025

The 32-year-old is currently 48 goals away from the record, which, by our calculations, is perhaps two full Harry Kane seasons' worth of goals.

Bar Mohamed Salah, there is no one anywhere close to the record, which suggests it would likely remain with Kane for many years to come, should he get there. Haaland will certainly have his eye on it, but only if he remains in the Premier League for at least another six years or so.

Given that any potential move wouldn't happen until next summer, the window for Kane to come back only grows smaller with each passing season.

The newly departed Daniel Levy's final act as Tottenham chairman may have been including a buyback clause for their former captain, which activates in 2026. Surely Spurs will think very hard about activating it (if it exists).

Like every other player in Europe, Kane has often found himself linked with Manchester United. If a move to Tottenham didn't come to fruition, and depending on how badly he wants the record, a move to Old Trafford could also make sense.

Admittedly, this iteration of United pales in comparison to that of yesteryear, but we know the funds will always be available, and we wouldn't rule out the Red Devils throwing their hat in the ring should he become available.

🚨🚨🗣️ @JacobsBen asked if there is any truth to the Harry Kane to Manchester United links:

“I think THERE IS. I’m not going to get anyone too excited so early…” #MUFC [@UnitedStandMUFC] pic.twitter.com/4Lf9TrHgEc

— mufcmpb2 (@mufcMPB2_) September 25, 2025

England's Best Ever Forward

If he is breaking records that Messi has held and scoring 30+ goals consistently for over 10 years, Kane holds strong claims to be England's best-ever forward.

Admittedly, the trophy debate will always be held against him; however, in terms of pure goalscoring ability, numbers, and consistency, very few come close.

Wayne Rooney may still hold this title, but if Kane were to add more trophies and break a certain Premier League record, this argument would become a lot tougher.

🗣️ Wayne Rooney: "I’m not sure if Harry Kane was a better overall player than myself. I could do things which potentially he couldn’t. I was nastier than him as well. But for me, Harry Kane is England’s greatest striker ever" pic.twitter.com/hs7D97V7Ms

— Football Talk (@FootballTalkHQ) September 25, 2025

It is unfair to label Kane as a typical "number nine" as the other parts of his game are often massively overlooked. His passing range, game intelligence, and dead-ball striking are all assets that contribute to him being such a special player.

We will whisper this quietly, but on current form, there may also be an outside chance of the Ballon d'Or next season.

Now that would settle many a debate.

What The Future Holds

It is a great predicament to be the best goal scorer in Europe, playing for the best team in Germany, and being compared to the greats of the game.

In our opinion, Kane will be hoping for as much success as possible this season with Bayern (obviously), which will then take him into next summer's World Cup on cloud nine, and then perhaps back onto these shores for a record-breaking last dance.