Oliver Holt says Michael Owen was wrong to call Harry Kane 'nuts' for Bayern move

Oliver Holt, writing in the Daily Mail, argued that former England striker Michael Owen was mistaken to describe Harry Kane as “nuts” for leaving Tottenham Hotspur to join Bayern Munich at the start of the 2023-24 season.

Holt wrote that Kane’s decision to move to Germany has been an “outstanding success by any metric,” citing the striker’s goalscoring form, a Bundesliga title, the European Golden Shoe in his first season at Bayern and the wider personal and professional benefits of experiencing a different culture.

In his column, Holt recalled being at the Allianz Arena when Kane lifted his first major club trophy after Bayern’s win over Borussia Mönchengladbach in May. Holt said Kane celebrated on the pitch with teammates and family and later described the moment as one of relief and pride at finally winning a major honour.

Holt acknowledged the popular argument that Kane might have overtaken Alan Shearer’s Premier League goals record had he remained at Tottenham, and that broadcasters and some pundits treat modern Premier League statistics as an elite canon. But he wrote that such a focus undervalues other achievements and ignores longer historical lists that include pre-1992 records — pointing to Jimmy Greaves as the all-time English top-flight scorer with 357 goals, and placing Shearer lower on an extended list.

The columnist noted Kane’s continued international success, writing that Kane’s 74 goals for England put him 21 ahead of Wayne Rooney and far clear of the next active player. Holt also cited Kane’s club statistics since the move, saying the striker opened the season with five goals and three assists in his first three matches and was averaging roughly a goal a game in German football.

Holt rejected the notion that Kane sacrificed his legacy by leaving England to chase team success. He wrote that Kane had become a hero at two clubs rather than remaining a single-club figure and that his performances in both the Premier League and the Bundesliga improved his standing as one of Europe’s top forwards.

Holt also criticized what he described as an increasing tendency in football coverage to prioritise individual milestones over team achievements. He argued that Kane’s decision to pursue trophies — and to join a club historically associated with prolific strikers such as Gerd Müller and Robert Lewandowski — was consistent with the ambitions of a player seeking to add silverware to prolific goalscoring.

Owen’s comment drew attention because of his own status as a former top-level striker, but Holt framed the debate as part of a broader discussion about how records are valued and how career moves are judged. Holt's piece emphasized verifiable outcomes from Kane’s transfer: a league title, the Golden Shoe, a strong start to the season, and an expanded international goals tally.

The discussion comes as Bayern Munich prepare for another European campaign. Holt suggested that Kane’s move left him not only with individual honours but with the chance to compete for and win the Champions League with one of Europe’s most decorated clubs.

Holt concluded that, by his reckoning, the move was the best decision of Kane’s career and that criticisms focusing solely on missed Premier League milestones miss the fuller picture of a player’s achievements and ambitions.