Darren Bent insists he would take ex-Tottenham striker Harry Kane at Arsenal in a heartbeat.
England captain Kane has starred for Bayern Munich since signing for an initial fee of £83million in 2023, scoring 72 goals in 73 matches.
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The 31-year-old’s success comes after he spent nearly 20 years at Spurs, during which time he netted 213 Premier League goals and became the club’s all-time leading goalscorer.
It is the second-highest tally in the league’s history behind leader Alan Shearer’s 260, but Kane may still have a chance at beating him.
Recent reports say he has a release clause at Bayern worth £67m that could have been activated during the January transfer window.
Kane remained coy when asked about the release clause last week, insisting he did not want to comment on it.
A Premier League return may therefore be a possibility – and Arsenal are currently struggling for options up front.
The Gunners controversially opted not to sign a striker in January and could pay the price – with fears over a suspected hamstring injury for Kai Havertz.
Mikel Arteta will surely look to bolster his attacking options in the summer – and ex-England striker Bent, who played for Tottenham but supports Arsenal, insists Kane to the Emirates would be a no-brainer if the option arose.
When asked on talkSPORT Drive if he would take Kane at the club, Bent immediately said: “I’d take him.”
Co-host Andy Goldstein then insisted it would never happen and argued it would be a bigger deal than Campbell’s deeply-controversial north London allegiance switch in 2001.
However, Bent offered an explanation as to why a Kane switch to the Gunners amid his Spurs past wouldn’t be as big of a bombshell.
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All-time leading goalscorers in Premier League
| Player | Goals |
| Alan Shearer | 260 |
| Harry Kane | 213 |
| Wayne Rooney | 208 |
| Andrew Cole | 187 |
| Sergio Aguero | 184 |
| Mohamed Salah | 178 |
| Frank Lampard | 177 |
| Thierry Henry | 175 |
| Robbie Fowler | 163 |
| Jermain Defoe | 162 |
“This is why I think the Sol one’s bigger, right. Harry Kane, record goalscorer, one of Spurs’ greatest ever players, partially with [Jimmy] Greaves, I understand that,” Bent said.
“One of their best ever players, although some Spurs fans would say he’s not… I think he’s one of their best ever.
“England captain, his stats, 213 Premier League goals, I understand that, but there’s been Bayern in between.
“Listen, Sol Campbell at the time was one of the best centre-halves in the country. He came out on national TV and said, ‘I’m not leaving’, and then went to Arsenal, their rivals, for nothing.
“Harry Kane never once came out and said, ‘I’m not going anywhere, I’m staying’, but Bayern paid €100m for him.”
Goldstein interjected: “There’s no way Harry Kane will end up at Arsenal in a billion years.”
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Bent responded: “No, I don’t think he will either. But my point is I don’t think that would be bigger than Sol Campbell.”
Bent was then asked if there would be any Arsenal fans who wouldn’t take him, but he said: “No, that guy guarantees you goals.”
He added: “His goal return, the year before he left to go to Bayern, he scored 32 in all competitions.
“Before that, it was 27, 33, 24, 24, 41, 35, 28, do you know what I mean? I’m telling you now, he would never go to Arsenal in a million years.
“But if you’re asking me if I’d take him, 100 per cent.”
