Real Madrid reportedly tabled a £60 million ($74.21 million) bid for then-Tottenham Hotspur striker Harry Kane. The offer proved to be inadequate, with Daniel Levy demanding a much higher price for the 30-year-old striker.
Real Madrid Seriously Considered Signing Harry Kane
Following Karim Benzema’s shock departure to Saudi Arabian club Al-Ittihad and Mariano Diaz’s contract termination, Los Blancos were momentarily without any natural center-forwards. Shortly after the 2023-24 summer transfer window opened, they signed Joselu Mato on loan from Espanyol, but many expected Madrid to add another center-forward to their ranks before the clock ran out.
It is common knowledge that Madrid wanted to sign Kylian Mbappe from Paris Saint-Germain (PSG), but the deal, once again, did not materialize. It was previously thought that Madrid did not try to sign any other striker in the summer, but according to The Athletic, Real Madrid made a hefty bid for former Premier League star Kane. Los Merengues’ $74.21 million offer, however, proved to be insufficient as Spurs ultimately accepted a $106.99 million bid from Bayern Munich.
Carlo Ancelotti Wanted The Club To Sign Kane
Following Benzema’s departure, Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti reportedly asked club president Florentino Perez to sign England skipper Kane. Like Benzema, Kane is also excellent at dropping deep, combining with teammates, and creating chances. The Englishman would have been a true like-for-like replacement for the 2022 Ballon d’Or winner. Perez and Co., however, decided against the move, showing concerns over Kane’s age and Tottenham’s hefty asking price for the player.
So far, Los Blancos have not felt the absence of a world-class center-forward, with Ancelotti’s new 4-3-1-2 formation working like a charm. New signing Jude Bellingham has emerged as a consistent source of goals, with the 20-year-old pitching in with five goals and an assist in five La Liga matches. Joselu has also been in inspired form lately, popping up with crucial goal involvements. The 33-year-old striker has featured in five games for the All-Whites since the start of the season, scoring twice and providing an assist. He either scored or assisted in each of his three starts for Madrid.
With Vinicius Junior still recovering from a muscular issue, Joselu is expected to keep his place in the starting XI in Wednesday’s (September 20) UEFA Champions League clash with Union Berlin. It will be interesting to see if he can extend his purple patch to Europe’s most elite cup competition.
