Harry Kane is said to have signed the most lucrative contract in Bayern Munich’s history and to now be Europe’s highest-paid player. But how much will his salary actually be in future? How estimates of professional footballers’ absurd salaries are calculated.
Harry Kane is reportedly set to become Europe's highest-paid player by base salary after extending his Bayern Munich contract until 2029. The club's record signing, who joined from Tottenham Hotspur for €95 million in 2023, is also said to have agreed the biggest deal in Bayern Munich's history.
David Ornstein of The Athletic, a well-connected reporter not given to sensationalism, has reported the deal. The similarly reputable kicker says Kane is set to receive an "exorbitantly high annual salary" at Germany's record champions.
At a press conference following Kane's signing, Bayern Munich CEO Jan-Christian Dreesen said the club had had to "stretch" financially to secure the extension, though not "stretch to the ceiling". "For us, this is naturally a big contract for a big player. It is appropriate," Dreesen said. Kane had "shown over the past three years that he was worth every cent, and that is how we see it going forward too."
Who has been regarded as Europe's highest-paid player until now?
How high is Kane's annual salary? Are Bayern Munich paying the 33-year-old Ballon d'Or winner around "€30 million", as kicker speculates, or even a little more? Bayern Munich, like almost all football clubs, do not publish their players' salaries. An estimate is possible, though.
Former Dortmund player Erling Haaland has so far been regarded as Europe's highest-paid player. According to Capology, the Manchester City striker has earned a weekly base salary of £525,000, or €621,000, since extending his contract by a further nine years in 2025, taking it through to 2034. That works out at £27.3 million or €32.2 million a year.
How much is Erling Haaland said to earn at Manchester City?
Capology is an online database that says it compiles footballers' salaries worldwide from media reports, insider information and official announcements. It is the most comprehensive global platform for comparing those salaries, though its figures do not necessarily reflect reality. Capology says its customer samples for salary estimates generally fall within 15 per cent of the actual figure.
English media reports offer similar figures. The Sun, often well informed but prone to sensationalism, put Haaland's weekly base salary, excluding bonuses, at £525,000. The reputable and usually equally well-informed The Guardian and The Times gave a more cautious estimate of around £500,000 gross a week. On that basis, Haaland's annual base salary would be £26 million or €31.17 million.
Another indication comes from the Sunday Times Tax List, which lists celebrities' tax payments each year. It placed Haaland among England's biggest taxpayers last year, with a total bill of £17 million (€20.38 million). The figure covers income tax, taxes on dividends and capital gains, and corporation tax.
The Sunday Times Tax List also relies on estimates. English journalist Robert Watts has curated it for years, and virtually all news media in England regularly pick it up. It is considered as well regarded as the Forbes list of the world's richest people. Watts, too, uses an annual base salary of £26 million (€31.17 million) for Haaland.
Harry Kane was not even Bayern Munich's top earner until now
Does that mean Kane now earns more than a guaranteed €31 million at Bayern Munich?
That figure is hard to imagine. Yet it pales beside what the world's highest-paid player reportedly receives: Cristiano Ronaldo earns a base salary of €208 million at Al-Nassr. Saudi petrodollars operate on another scale.
On Kane's deal, Sky transfer expert Florian Plettenberg is more cautious. He writes that Kane will earn "at least €25 million" in future.
That would be little more than Kane earns now: reports have consistently put his base salary at €25 million.
A substantial pay rise looks more likely when bonuses enter the picture. Kane was not even Bayern Munich's top earner overall. Jamal Musiala reportedly took that spot after extending his contract in February 2025, at least when bonuses were included. According to that account, Musiala has since earned an annual base salary of €22.5 million, less than Kane has earned until now. With bonuses, though, Musiala has reportedly earned €35.2 million.
According to Capology, only Kylian Mbappe (Real Madrid), Haaland and Vinicius Junior (Real Madrid) have earned more than Musiala in Europe. Musiala has so far ranked seventh worldwide. Capology puts Kane's earnings at €31.2 million, making him the world's twelfth-highest-paid player.
For Bayern Munich, Ballon d'Or winner Harry Kane has a strong claim to be their top earner.
If Harry Kane gets that much, how much will Michael Olise be able to demand from Bayern?
Beyond Kane's deal, Bayern Munich appear to remain caught in an immense wage spiral. Germany's record champions have wanted to cut their wage costs for years. The supervisory board has previously criticised sporting director Max Eberl over this, and his contract extension remained in the balance for a long time, partly because of his alleged, or perceived, weakness in negotiations.
Kane's status as a world footballer gives Bayern a case for raising his salary. At the press conference, Dreesen said attention on Bayern had increased "to an incredible extent" following Kane's Ballon d'Or win. That helps in negotiations with sponsors and potential partners.
At 33, however, Kane has already secured more than the usual contract length for a player his age. Bayern agreed to his wish to extend by more than a year, while players over 30 normally receive only one-year extensions. Older players, like very young ones, tend to receive more performance-related deals with higher, realistic bonus payments.
If Kane really is set to earn more than €31 million, how much can Michael Olise demand when his contract extension talks begin soon? Olise is regarded as operating at a similarly high level to Kane on the pitch, and all the top clubs are watching him closely. Yet, according to Capology, his current base salary is a comparatively modest €13.5 million. Another record contract could soon follow.
Europe's top 10 highest-paid players according to Capology
|
Rank |
Name |
Club |
Annual base salary |
|
1. |
Erling Haaland |
Manchester City |
€32.27m |
|
2. |
Kylian Mbappé |
Real Madrid |
€31.25m |
|
2. |
Vinícius Júnior |
Real Madrid |
€31.25m |
|
4. |
Rodri |
Barcelona |
€27.08m |
|
5. |
Harry Kane |
Bayern Munich |
€25.00m (before extension) |
|
6. |
Lamine Yamal |
Barcelona |
€22.92m |
|
7. |
Jamal Musiala |
Bayern Munich |
€22.83m |
|
8. |
Virgil van Dijk |
Liverpool |
€21.51m |
|
8. |
Enzo Fernández |
Manchester City |
€21.51m |
|
10. |
Jude Bellingham |
Real Madrid |
€20.83m |
Source: Capology