Chelsea are reportedly keeping a close eye on Bayern Munich striker Harry Kane amid the German champions' tricky predicament.
After trying and failing to years to guide Tottenham Hotspur to their first piece of silverware since 2008, Kane ended his association with the Lilywhites last summer to join Thomas Tuchel's outfit.
The 30-year-old arrived at the Allianz Arena with the second-most goals in the history of the Premier League, and he has seamlessly adapted to life in Germany with another glut of goals in his opening months in a Bayern jersey.
The England captain has already amassed an astounding 28 goals in just 29 matches for Bayern - in addition to eight assists - with 24 of those efforts coming in 21 Bundesliga outings.
Kane sits seven goals clear of closest challenger Serhou Guirassy in the race for the Golden Boot, but after arriving in Bavaria with the intention of finally lifting a major team trophy, Bayern are at risk of ending the season without a single honour to their name.
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Owing to last weekend's humiliating 3-0 loss to Bayer Leverkusen, as well as Die Werkself's 2-1 beating of Heidenheim on Saturday, Bayern currently sit eight points behind Xabi Alonso's team at the top of the Bundesliga rankings.
The Reds - who have won 11 crowns on the bounce since the 2012-13 season - can cut the gap back down to five points by overcoming VfL Bochum on Sunday, but the title will remain out of their own hands barring a calamitous collapse from Leverkusen, who are still unbeaten in the top flight this term.
In addition, Bayern suffered a 1-0 defeat to Lazio in the first leg of their Champions League last-16 clash in midweek, while their DFB-Pokal journey ended at the hands of minnows Saarbrucken in the second round, and Kane's debut ended in a 3-0 Super Cup loss to RB Leipzig.
According to Football Insider, Chelsea have received word that Kane is not completely satisfied with life in Germany amid Bayern's struggles this season, and the Blues would welcome him back to the Premier League with open arms.
Current Blues boss Mauricio Pochettino was at the Tottenham helm when Kane burst onto the scene, and the pair possessed an excellent relationship during the Argentine's five-year reign in North London.
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Chelsea are yet to firm up their interest in Kane, but the Blues are supposedly prepared to match the £82m fee that Bayern paid for his services last year to add him to their Stamford Bridge ranks for 2024-25.
Kane's contract at the Allianz Arena runs until the summer of 2027, but the 30-year-old's desire to chase down Alan Shearer at the top of the Premier League goalscoring charts is no secret; he departed the top flight needing 48 strikes to surpass his compatriot's 260.
A move to Manchester United was thought to have been the most likely course of action for Kane, but Spurs chairman Daniel Levy was reluctant to sell to a direct Premier League rival, forcing Kane to relinquish his pursuit of Shearer's record for the time being.
Chelsea reinforced their frontline with the signings of Nicolas Jackson and Christopher Nkunku last summer, but a new number nine is still expected to be a priority for the summer window, especially if Fulham loanee Armando Broja departs permanently.
Napoli's Victor Osimhen is apparently at the top of their shortlist, but the Blues are now expected to face stiff competition from Paris Saint-Germain, who want the Nigerian to replace the departing Kylian Mbappe.
Ben Knapton
