Although it was difficult for Harry Kane to leave his beloved Tottenham Hotspur, the move has proved worth its weight in gold on a personal level. The online football betting odds have Bayern Munich as one of the favourites to win the Champions League on home soil at the Allianz Arena, and with the Bundesliga odds comfortably in their favour, it looks as if Kane will finally land his first trophy aged 31.
The transition from Premier League talisman to Bundesliga sensation has been seamless for Kane, who has embraced the technical demands of German football with characteristic intelligence and adaptability. While Bayern struggled under Thomas Tuchel last term – coinciding with Xabi Alonso’s swashbuckling Bayer Leverkusen team going unbeaten, Kane was still top scorer and has carried the mantle this season.
As the Englishman continues to etch his name into Bundesliga folklore, the question inevitably arises: where does Harry Kane rank among the greatest strikers to grace Germany’s top flight in recent memory? To truly understand his impact and contextualise his achievements, we must measure Kane against the modern Bundesliga greats who established the standards he now seeks to surpass.
Robert Lewandowski
Any conversation about Bundesliga striking excellence must begin with Robert Lewandowski, whose eight-year reign at Bayern Munich redefined the possibilities for a modern centre-forward. The Polish maestro’s 344 goals in 375 appearances for Bayern represents a benchmark of consistent excellence that looms over every striker who follows in his footsteps.
Lewandowski’s legendary status was cemented not just through his extraordinary numbers but through his complete mastery of the striking arts – combining aerial dominance, technical finesse, and predatory instincts with remarkable tactical intelligence. His 41 Bundesliga goals in the 2020/21 season broke Gerd Müller’s seemingly untouchable 49-year record, representing perhaps the pinnacle of striking excellence in the modern era.
Marco Reus
Unlike the pure number nines that dominate this conversation, Marco Reus represents a different breed of Bundesliga attacking greatness. The Borussia Dortmund icon has spent over a decade as the heartbeat of his hometown club, combining technical brilliance with tactical versatility to become one of German football’s most beloved figures.
What makes Reus’s 164 goals and 124 assists for Dortmund even more remarkable is the context in which they were achieved – persistent injury problems repeatedly interrupted his career at crucial moments. His loyalty to Dortmund through trophy-laden Bayern’s dominance speaks to a romantic notion of football that transcends mere statistics, with Reus embodying the emotional connection between player, club and community that Kane himself cultivated at Tottenham.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang
Few strikers have entered the Bundesliga with the explosive impact of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. The Gabonese forward’s four-and-a-half seasons at Borussia Dortmund yielded 141 goals in just 213 appearances, combining blistering pace with predatory finishing to terrorise defences across Germany.
Aubameyang’s 31 Bundesliga goals in 2016/17 earned him the Torjägerkanone (top scorer award) ahead of Lewandowski, showcasing his ability to compete with the very best at their peak. His devastating counter-attacking style perfectly complemented Dortmund’s tactical approach under Thomas Tuchel, with his partnership with Marco Reus producing some of the most exhilarating football in recent Bundesliga history.
Grafite
Sometimes the most compelling sporting narratives come from the most unexpected sources. Grafite’s journey from Brazilian journeyman to Bundesliga superstar represents one of football’s most remarkable late-career transformations. As the spearhead of Wolfsburg’s unlikely 2008/09 title-winning side, Grafite formed an irresistible partnership with Edin Džeko that produced 54 Bundesliga goals between them.
Grafite’s 28 goals that season included perhaps the most audacious finish in Bundesliga history – a backheeled masterpiece against Bayern Munich that symbolised Wolfsburg’s fearless approach. Though his peak was brief compared to others on this list, Grafite’s role in one of the Bundesliga’s greatest underdog triumphs ensures his permanent place in German football folklore.