Signing Kane: How Bayern Munich finally replaced Lewandowski - ESPN

After months of rumours and negotiations, this summer's blockbuster transfer saga involving Harry Kane, Bayern Munich and Tottenham Hotspur came down to the wire.

On Thursday, Spurs finally agreed to Bayern's fourth bid in six weeks for the England captain. Even after Kane had agreed to join Bayern on a four-year deal, he was delayed from hopping aboard the private jet waiting to take off from London-Stansted airport.

While it seemed that Kane had doubts about whether he really wanted to leave Tottenham after being part of the club for almost two decades, the reality was that it unexpectedly took some time before the last financial details were clarified. Eventually, he landed in Munich, held up a red-and-white jersey and had a big smile on his face.

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«It was always going to be a tough decision,» Kane said at a news conference on Sunday. «Ultimately, I'm a professional, I've always pushed myself to my limits and the time was right.»

Throughout all of this, Bayern supporters needed to be patient; they'd read a lot of rumors and hearsay, moods oscillating between hopeful and pessimistic. In the end, they got what they desperately wanted, a world-class No. 9 to fill the void left by Robert Lewandowski's departure to Barcelona last summer, but whether the wait was worth it remains to be seen.

What can already be said is that Bayern's bosses went out of their way to break the club's transfer record, offering Tottenham a package worth €100 million with a further €20m in add-ons. They also deviated from the usual club policy of keeping transfer negotiations behind closed doors. Much of Bayern's pursuit of Kane was happening in the public by way of constant leaks to the media.