The England captain will head back to his club in the next few days and Bayern will immediately resume talks over a new contract that will keep the striker in the Bundesliga beyond 202716:24, 04 Aug 2026Just over nine years ago, Harry Kane mildly surprised a small gathering of reporters when he declared winning the Ballon d’Or to be one of his prime ambitions. Nothing wrong with aiming high, of course. But, at the time, Kane was a 23-year-old striker who had made 17 appearances for his country and had scored five goals.‌His numbers with Spurs were very good - 78 goals in 113 Premier League appearances - but he had only been an established top-flight player for three seasons. But Kane believed in himself and lifting that Ballon d’Or is a realistic prospect when the awards ceremony, for the first time in its history, comes to London in October.‌Bookmakers do not normally get these sorts of things wrong and every odds-maker has Kane as the favourite to become the seventh British player to receive the accolade. The influence of the World Cup, though, should not be under-estimated.‌Some of the 100 journalists who make the choice could well forgive Rodri an injury-interrupted and otherwise mediocre season with his club for his imperious role in Spain’s summer triumph. Lamine Yamal and Kylian Mbappe would appear to be the only other realistic contenders.And they are worthy contenders. If Kane does not win the 2026 edition, he will have the award in his sights for next year - a year with no major international tournaments.And if he stays at Bayern Munich, goals are a guarantee. In three seasons in Germany, he has 146 in 147 appearances. If he moved to Barcelona - a switch that seems slightly fanciful but has been mooted reasonably strongly - goals would be a guarantee.‌Kane is not coming back to the Premier League any time soon, we can be fairly certain of that. He will report back for training with Bayern after the Bundesliga champions have returned from a pre-season trip to Korea and Hong Kong on Saturday.Contract talks will immediately resume, as his current deal expires in the summer of 2027. And quite frankly, it is hard to see why Kane would not want to extend his agreement.‌He could ask for a release clause at the end of next season if he feels he might have the urge to come back and break the Premier League goalscoring record - he is currently 47 short of Alan Shearer’s total of 260 - but he seems extremely content in Bavaria. Plus, the style of play, the quality of play, the guarantee of competing for honours on all fronts, are all factors that will help him stay in top shape for the international challenges that still lie ahead, most notably leading England into Euro 2028.He turned 33 a week ago but Kane has looked a better, all-round player for his time in Munich. He was certainly more impressive for England at World Cup 2026 than he was at either Euro 2024 or World Cup 2022. He is not unusual but playing in a dominant team suits him.‌When he sits down with his advisers and the Bayern hierarchy in the next week, there will, of course, be no escaping the relevance of his age. But over the past few years, the longevity of marquee players - and of strikers, in particular - will have probably had a bearing on his plans.Since his 34th birthday, Kane’s predecessor at Bayern, Robert Lewandowski, has scored 125 club goals. Kane could return to the Premier League as a 35-year-old - in two seasons’ time - and still fancy his chances of beating Shearer’s number.But before then, he will have his eyes on another individual accolade. And if the Ballon d’Or does not come his way on the 70th anniversary of the award (the first one, in 1956, was won by Stanley Matthews, hence why the ceremony is in London), you can guarantee he will be a contender again if he stays at Bayern Munich. The Premier League and Shearer’s record are going to have to wait.Article continues belowJoin our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.