Real Madrid Transfers: Why Harry Kane cannot be an alternative

Real Madrid want to sign a superstar attacker in the summer 2021 transfer window to finally change their fortunes after three consecutive seasons without a true top goal-scorer next to Karim Benzema. We’ve seen Benzema carry the full goal-scoring weight on his shoulders, and Los Blancos know this cannot continue in 2021-2022.

The problem is that upgrades like Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland will be extremely difficult to pull off. Either player could cost, at a minimum, 150 million euros, and in this current economic climate, Real Madrid may not have that kind of money to spend, even if they make more sales.

Recently, Francisco Jose Delgado stated on SER Deportivos that Real Madrid are monitoring Harry Kane as an alternative option to the duo of Mbappe and Haaland. So Kane joins Cristiano Ronaldo as an experienced superstar forward on Real’s radar.

Kane is in the prime of his career at the age of 27. After an injury-plagued 2019-2020 season, Kane is more than just back to his best in 2020-2021. He is having the best season of his career, equal parts playmaker and scorer for Tottenham. The England international has scored 17 goals with 13 assists in 27 Premier League appearances, averaging more than one goal contribution per game in a league where this sort of feat is quite rare.

Harry Kane is more than good enough to play for Real Madrid, but he’d also be ridiculously expensive

There is no doubt that Kane is of Real Madrid quality. Foolishly, I had my doubts last year at this time when Kane was being linked with Los Blancos, but, now, it is obvious that he is on the level of Benzema when looking at his all-around ability. I am not saying his career accomplishments are at Benz’s level, but at this exact point in time, he is as good as Real’s legendary No. 9. And yes, that is high praise, but Kane has earned it on the strength of his jaw-dropping play this season.

So if Kane is playing this well in the Premier League – as an England international in the Premier League, no less, which carries additional transfer weight – do you really think he would be any more affordable for Real Madrid than Erling Haaland or Kylian Mbappe?

“Alternatives” to Mbappe and Haaland need to be players who are easier to acquire, specifically from a financial perspective. Kane is the face of Spurs. He should be unsellable in their eyes. And with his current body of work and status, his transfer fee would be exorbitant. Spurs would command a king’s ransom to even listen to an offer for Kane. He could conceivably be more expensive than Haaland when taking all this information together.

In my mind, backup plans to the preferred young duo of Haaland and Mbappe must be more under-the-radar forward options, as opposed to a clear superstar. But even Cristiano Ronaldo is more of a realistic alternative for Real Madrid than Kane, because his fee as a 36-year-old would be a cut rate compared to Kane’s.

We have to admire what Kane has done this season, and because he is one of the best strikers on this planet, he should automatically command Real’s attention on a hypothetical list of transfer targets. However, Real are out for a star of the future up top, preferably one who can play on the wings or primarily score. Kane’s skill-set would make him a replacement for Benzema one day, but there is no need to replace Benz. The key is to find someone young to complement him. Therefore, Kane is an expensive top target but not exactly an alternative to the Mbappe or Haaland route.