Harry Kane and Leroy Sané getting the best out of each other for Bayern Munich
Harry Kane was signed by Bayern Munich primarily to fill Robert Lewandowski's goal-filled boots, but he has also injected new life into Leroy Sané's career…
There was no little pressure on Kane when he arrived at Bayern from Tottenham Hotspur in August. Yes, he was Spurs' and England's record goalscorer, but could he translate that form to the Bundesliga?
The answer has been a resounding 'jawohl' so far. In seven league outings to date, Kane has struck eight times. He has also scored against Manchester United - another of his potential summer suitors - in the UEFA Champions League.
Lewandowski left for Barcelona a year ago, and whilst the team shared the goalscoring burden before Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting's admirable run at No.9 in the second half of last season, a world-class goalscorer was needed, and has been found.
But alongside Kane's goals have been assists. Five of them in all competitions. And every single one of those has been for Sané. The former Manchester City winger has scored seven times across Bundesliga and Champions League, all but two of which have been laid on by Kane.
It is a symbiotic relationship on and off the field: Sané, and his English wife, have helped Kane settle into life in Munich, while Kane has helped Bayern get the best out of a top drawer winger who was already on their books.
"I said at the beginning that Harry as a personality, as a fixed point, as a character will make the players around him better through the way he plays, through his presence," said Bayern head coach Thomas Tuchel at the start of the season.
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"Harry does what Harry always did. It's a good combination. Not just the two of them, but with both of them it's very obvious at the moment. It helps that Leroy speaks English fluently like a second native language and communication is very easy."
Tuchel may be quick to praise his whole team, but there is no question that Kane and Sané have carried the bulk of the attacking burden, with 60 per cent of Bayern's goals in 2023/24 scored by one of the two. Where once they had Robbery - the devastating attacking partnership of Arjen Robben and Franck Ribéry - Bayern now have KaneSanéty.
And yet there is nothing insane about Kane's cerebral play, his ability to get involved in the build-up play before slipping a killer through-ball to Sané, who has clocked the fourth-highest top speed this season (35.82km/h/ 22.26mph) behind Bayern teammate Alphonso Davies, Silas of Stuttgart, and Bayer Leverkusen's Jeremie Frimpong.
"For our style of play it's important that we have a real No.9," said Sané recently. "But Harry also drops deep so that we can rotate well. I love moving from attacking midfield up front with pace - it's worked well with Harry a few times and with more games and training sessions it can definitely get better."
The idea that there is more to come should strike fear into opposition defenders. Sane has never scored more than eight goals in a Bundesliga season. This year he is on six after just seven games played.
Kane was Bayern's record transfer when he made the move from Tottenham. It may have been a significant investment, but the champions have since unearthed two world-class attackers for the price of one.
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