Bayern Munich president Herbert Hainer has refused to rule out Erling Haaland as Harry Kane's eventual successor, telling BILD the club will reassess "in a few years" — even as BILD's own Christian Falk insists the Bavarians are not pursuing the Manchester City striker at all.
Haaland did his reputation no harm on Sunday, scoring in City's 3-0 win at Liverpool to take his tally to six league goals in six matches this season. The Norwegian has now struck 118 times in just 138 Premier League appearances, and with City found guilty on 114 of 115 Premier League financial charges earlier this month, speculation about the futures of their biggest stars refuses to go away.
What Hainer actually said
Speaking to BILD, Hainer was asked directly about Bayern's long-term interest in Haaland as a future replacement for Kane. The Bayern president refused to close the door: "We have Kane, Olise, Diaz and more. We scored over 120 goals last season. If we're talking about the future in a few years, then there will be a new situation and we'll see."
It is the classic non-denial denial. Hainer made clear the present belongs to Kane, but deliberately left the future open — a notable stance given Bayern tried to sign Haaland from Borussia Dortmund before he chose City in 2022.
The timing is no accident. Kane, now 33, is out of contract in June 2027, and talks over an extension are ongoing — Karl-Heinz Rummenigge recently confirmed an agreement is imminent, with Michael Olise's renewal next on the agenda.
Falk's firm denial
Not everyone in Munich is buying the link. BILD journalist Christian Falk has poured cold water on the speculation, telling CF Bayern Insider: "It is NOT TRUE: Bayern are keeping an eye on Erling Haaland amid the Premier League's ongoing case against Manchester City. FC Bayern are focusing on contract talks with their own top striker, Harry Kane."
Falk added that the talks with Kane are going well and the club expects a decision after the international break — likely a two-year extension with the option of a third. His core argument is financial: Haaland earns around €35m a year at City, a figure Bayern simply do not pay, and there is "no space, on the one hand on the pitch, and on the other hand, on the wage bill" while Kane remains the undisputed number nine.
Why the link refuses to die
Bayern's recruitment department is paid to think beyond the present, and at 33 Kane cannot lead the line forever — even in his current Ballon d'Or-contending form. Planning for his successor is prudent, and Haaland, 26, is the dream candidate for every elite club in Europe.
City's legal situation adds fuel. If their appeal against the guilty verdict fails, sanctions could be severe — and few believe the entire squad would stay through a relegation. Barcelona are also circling: after Kane reportedly rejected a move to Catalonia in favour of a new Bayern deal, TEAMtalk claims the Blaugrana have turned their attention to Haaland as their long-term Lewandowski replacement.
Any move remains enormously complicated. Haaland signed a new City contract in 2025 that runs until 2034, giving the club total control over his future, and the combination of transfer fee and wages would make him the most expensive signing in Bundesliga history by a distance.
The wage-bill reality
Falk's objection is the one that matters most. Bayern's wage structure has always been disciplined by elite standards, and Haaland's reported €35m salary would shatter it — before even considering the transfer fee, agent costs and a signing-on fee that would apply even if he ever became available for free.
Kompany's side, meanwhile, hardly look short of firepower. With Kane flanked by Olise and Luis Diaz, Bayern smashed through the 120-goal mark last season, and Hainer's message was clear: the present attack needs no help. The question is purely about the future — and on that, Munich's president and Munich's best-connected journalist are telling two different stories.
Beyond the Final Whistle: Hainer refused to rule out Haaland; Falk says there is nothing in it. The truth is probably in the middle — Bayern are planning for life after Kane, but a €35m-a-year striker was never going to fit their wage bill while the England captain keeps scoring. If Kane signs that extension, does the Haaland dream die for good? And if City's appeal fails, where would he even go?
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Bayern Munich president Herbert Hainer has refused to rule out Erling Haaland as Harry Kane's eventual successor, telling BILD the club will reassess "in a few years" — even as BILD's own Christian Falk insists the Bavarians are not pursuing the Manchester City striker at all.
Haaland did his reputation no harm on Sunday, scoring in City's 3-0 win at Liverpool to take his tally to six league goals in six matches this season. The Norwegian has now struck 118 times in just 138 Premier League appearances, and with City found guilty on 114 of 115 Premier League financial charges earlier this month, speculation about the futures of their biggest stars refuses to go away.
What Hainer actually said
Speaking to BILD, Hainer was asked directly about Bayern's long-term interest in Haaland as a future replacement for Kane. The Bayern president refused to close the door: "We have Kane, Olise, Diaz and more. We scored over 120 goals last season. If we're talking about the future in a few years, then there will be a new situation and we'll see."
It is the classic non-denial denial. Hainer made clear the present belongs to Kane, but deliberately left the future open — a notable stance given Bayern tried to sign Haaland from Borussia Dortmund before he chose City in 2022.
The timing is no accident. Kane, now 33, is out of contract in June 2027, and talks over an extension are ongoing — Karl-Heinz Rummenigge recently confirmed an agreement is imminent, with Michael Olise's renewal next on the agenda.
Falk's firm denial
Not everyone in Munich is buying the link. BILD journalist Christian Falk has poured cold water on the speculation, telling CF Bayern Insider: "It is NOT TRUE: Bayern are keeping an eye on Erling Haaland amid the Premier League's ongoing case against Manchester City. FC Bayern are focusing on contract talks with their own top striker, Harry Kane."
Falk added that the talks with Kane are going well and the club expects a decision after the international break — likely a two-year extension with the option of a third. His core argument is financial: Haaland earns around €35m a year at City, a figure Bayern simply do not pay, and there is "no space, on the one hand on the pitch, and on the other hand, on the wage bill" while Kane remains the undisputed number nine.
Why the link refuses to die
Bayern's recruitment department is paid to think beyond the present, and at 33 Kane cannot lead the line forever — even in his current Ballon d'Or-contending form. Planning for his successor is prudent, and Haaland, 26, is the dream candidate for every elite club in Europe.
City's legal situation adds fuel. If their appeal against the guilty verdict fails, sanctions could be severe — and few believe the entire squad would stay through a relegation. Barcelona are also circling: after Kane reportedly rejected a move to Catalonia in favour of a new Bayern deal, TEAMtalk claims the Blaugrana have turned their attention to Haaland as their long-term Lewandowski replacement.
Any move remains enormously complicated. Haaland signed a new City contract in 2025 that runs until 2034, giving the club total control over his future, and the combination of transfer fee and wages would make him the most expensive signing in Bundesliga history by a distance.
The wage-bill reality
Falk's objection is the one that matters most. Bayern's wage structure has always been disciplined by elite standards, and Haaland's reported €35m salary would shatter it — before even considering the transfer fee, agent costs and a signing-on fee that would apply even if he ever became available for free.
Kompany's side, meanwhile, hardly look short of firepower. With Kane flanked by Olise and Luis Diaz, Bayern smashed through the 120-goal mark last season, and Hainer's message was clear: the present attack needs no help. The question is purely about the future — and on that, Munich's president and Munich's best-connected journalist are telling two different stories.
Beyond the Final Whistle: Hainer refused to rule out Haaland; Falk says there is nothing in it. The truth is probably in the middle — Bayern are planning for life after Kane, but a €35m-a-year striker was never going to fit their wage bill while the England captain keeps scoring. If Kane signs that extension, does the Haaland dream die for good? And if City's appeal fails, where would he even go?
