Market value debate at FC Bayern: Eberl annoyed by Kane devaluation | OneFootball

The recent market value development of Harry Kane is causing a frown at FC Bayern. Chief Sports Officer Max Eberl publicly expressed his incomprehension at the devaluation. A market value expert now provides the explanation

After FC Bayern’s commanding 4:0 away win at 1. FC Heidenheim, the sporting mood at Säbener Straße was actually at its best. Nevertheless, there was one topic that did not let go of sports director Max Eberl: the recent market value devaluation of Harry Kane. While shooting star Lennart Karl made a historic leap, the English goal scorer lost ten million euros in market value – despite outstanding figures

The Transfermarkt portal lowered Kane’s market value from 75 to 65 million euros. A decision that irritates Eberl. „I wonder why Harry Kane is being devalued. Can someone answer that for me? Don’t start with the age,“ said the 52-year-old, visibly annoyed. From a sporting point of view, the displeasure is understandable: Kane has already scored 30 goals this season after 25 competitive games and is once again the offensive heart of the record champions

Why performance alone is not enough

photo: IMAGO

But this is precisely the crux of the problem. Market values on Transfermarkt do not exclusively reflect current performance, but rather a theoretical resale value. Factors such as age, contract duration, perspective and market mechanisms play a decisive role. And it is precisely this mechanism that affects Kane – regardless of his world-class form

Tobias Kröger, market value coordinator at Transfermarkt, confirmed to BILD: „Unfortunately, Harry Kane has been downgraded in age. Despite his outstanding performances and goal rate, this development does not stop at the world-class striker.“ The correction has nothing to do with a downgrading of his sporting quality

On the contrary: Kane is still an exception within his age group. With a market value of 65 million euros, the 32-year-old is by far the most valuable player of his generation – worldwide, according to Kröger. This puts him on a par with stars such as Mohamed Salah, Kevin De Bruyne and Thibaut Courtois, who have the same combined market value

Eberl’s criticism hits a nerve

What Eberl is particularly critical of is the actual impact of these market values. „It’s just a gimmick,“ said the Bayern boss, but at the same time conceded that these figures are taken quite seriously in professional soccer. „Funnily enough, it’s taken as a medium and it’s always pointed out, even though journalists make these assessments. I find that remarkable.“

Market values are often used as a reference in contract talks, transfers and public debates in particular – even if they do not guarantee a real transfer fee. For a club like FC Bayern, which values sporting performance more highly than resale fantasies, this logic is not always congruent with its own assessment

The bottom line is that Kane is undisputedly one of the best strikers in the world in sporting terms. His goals, his leadership role and his influence on Bayern’s game are undisputed. The market value devaluation is less a judgement on his quality than a reflection of the sober market mechanics. The fact that Eberl questions this logic fits in with the image of a sports director who places performance above numbers – and that is probably more important to Harry Kane in the end than any market value debate.