Austria boss Ralf Rangnick claims that Bayern Munich would be better off had they never signed Harry Kane.
The England captain, now 31, moved from Tottenham to Bayern in 2023 for a club-record £100million and has since scored 83 goals in just 93 appearances for the Bundesliga giants in all competitions.
After a trophyless first season, Kane won the first major piece of silverware of his career in May when Bayern sealed the German title.
Despite these successes, Rangnick — interim boss of Man United between December 2021 and May 2022 — insists that Bayern should not have signed Kane.
‘If I were the club owner or sporting director, I would only try to sign young players and invest in them,’ Rangnick told Sport.
‘Because no matter how you look at it, it’s the only sensible thing to do.’
England captain Harry Kane has scored 83 goals in just 93 appearances for Bayern Munich
Ralf Rangnick says that Bayern Munich would have been better off investing in young players
Kane, pictured with Bayern CEO Jan-Christian Dressen, signed for £100million in 2023
The 66-year-old went on to suggest that Bayern’s punt on Kane had all the financial planning of a gambler’s trip to the roulette table.
‘It’s like a bet or a visit to the casino where I bet 130million on red or white,’ Rangnick added.
‘I know I’m exaggerating a bit, but you know what I mean.’
In the same interview, Rangnick also gave a withering assessment of the lack of ‘decision-makers’ at Man United.
‘I think we have to go back to 2013, when Sir Alex left the club. And at the time he was still there, he was the mastermind behind it all. He probably also brought a lot of important people to the club,’ Rangnick said.
‘And the moment he left, some of those people probably left the club as well. And, since then, I think they have a leadership problem.
‘Who’s really making the decisions and why are they making them? Are they really the best people for the job? I can only tell you that the six months I was there, it was difficult to say, even for me as head coach.
‘Who were the decision-makers? Who? Who could I talk to? If we wanted to sign new players, it was difficult. There were people, but in the end, it was difficult.’