Sign up to the Independent's betting newsletter for the latest tips and offers Sign up to the Independent's betting newsletter
Real Madrid are considering a move for Bayern Munich 's Robert Lewandowski in the summer, such is the difficulty involved in signing top striker target Harry Kane from Tottenham Hotspur .
The European champions plan an overhaul of their attack at the end of the season, and are looking to reshape the famous 'BBC' of Gareth Bale , Karim Benzema and Cristiano Ronaldo , and want to bring in primary objective Neymar, a goalscorer, and then a new goalkeeper.
President Florentino Perez has become enamoured with Kane and Spurs manager Mauricio Pochettino but the difficulty of doing either deal has naturally seen him look to other options. He has long been a fan of Lewandowski, and even directly spoken with the Polish striker in the past.
Harry Kane's best goals of 2017Show all 11 1 /11Harry Kane's best goals of 2017 Harry Kane's best goals of 2017 Harry Kane's best goals of 2017 After his record-breaking hat-trick against Southampton on Boxing Day, our London Football Correspondent Jack Pitt-Brooke takes a look at Kane's top ten goals from 2017.
Getty
Harry Kane's best goals of 2017 10. 22 October, Liverpool (first) A goal of audacity and awareness, as Dejan Lovren got underneath Kieran Trippier’s pass forward, Kane raced onto it and with a touch of his right foot took the ball away from Simon Mignolet and Joel Matip. Struggling to keep his balance, he steadied himself to put the ball into the near bottom corner with his left.
Getty Images
Harry Kane's best goals of 2017 9. 13 September, Borussia Dortmund (first) Could Kane do it in the Champions League, people asked before this season. When Borussia Dortmund came to Wembley in September, he scored twice, and the first was a classic. Charging down the inside-left channel, he shrugged off Sokratis and thumped the ball in at the near post with his left.
Getty Images
Harry Kane's best goals of 2017 8. 22 April, Chelsea This FA Cup semi-final was not a happy day for Spurs but they played well in the first half, as Kane drew them level with a clever header. After a corner was cleared, Eriksen curled in a cross from the right, seemingly too low to head. But Kane stooped at the near post to flick the ball into the far corner of the net, surprising everyone.
Getty Images
Harry Kane's best goals of 2017 7. 14 May, Manchester United Suitably enough as Spurs’ greatest player of the modern era, Kane scored the last ever goal at White Hart Lane, completing a 2-0 defeat of Manchester United. Eriksen whipped in a free-kick, Wayne Rooney missed his header, Kane darted in at the near post, stuck out his right boot and diverted the ball in for a clever finish.
Getty Images
Harry Kane's best goals of 2017 6. 14 January, West Bromwich Albion (third) Kane completed his first hat-trick of the season against West Brom at White Hart Lane back on 14. January. Up against a static defence, he gleefully ran onto Dele Alli’s genius scooped pass over the top to finish powerfully.
Getty Images
Harry Kane's best goals of 2017 5. 5 March, Everton (first) Another goal that summed up Kane’s tenacity and power: he won a 50-50 with Idrissa Gueye in the middle of the pitch, held him off and turned to face goal, still almost 30 yards out. His right-footed shot towards the near top corner was far too early and too strong for Joel Robles and Spurs were ahead.
Getty Images
Harry Kane's best goals of 2017 4. 26 December, Southampton (third) Most known for driving precise finishes, usually into the bottom corners, Kane’s third against Southampton on Boxing Day was a very different finish, and he was very proud of it. Out-muscling Maya Yoshida on the edge of the box, he bore down on goal and deftly dinked the ball over Fraser Forster with his left foot, to earn himself yet another match ball.
Tottenham Hotspur FC via Getty I
Harry Kane's best goals of 2017 3. 23 December, Burnley away (third) Harry Kane completed his seventh – but not final – hat-trick of the year with some brilliant work at Turf Moor on Saturday evening. It was classic Spurs, as he won the ball back with a powerful tackle, ran forward and then received a flick from Dele Alli. Shuffling fast from his right foot to his left, Kane buried the ball in the bottom corner. “It summed up how I play,” Kane said, “winning the ball back with a tackle and then scoring.”
Getty Images
Harry Kane's best goals of 2017 2. 26 February, Stoke City (second) Arguably Kane’s technically best goal of the year, the second of what was his third hat-trick in nine days. Christian Eriksen pulled a corner back to Kane, loitering 20 yards from goal. He got his body over the ball with immaculate balance and struck it perfectly on the half-volley with his left boot, whistling away into the net.
Getty Images
Harry Kane's best goals of 2017 1. 30 September, Huddersfield Town away (second) Kane’s favourite of the goal of the lot was his second at Huddersfield in a 4-0 win early on in this season. Receiving the ball from a throw-in 20 yards from goal, he held off one defender, and burst right past Mathias Jorgensen. Taking half a glance up, he curled a left-footed finish into the far top corner before any Huddersfield player realised what had happened.
Getty Images
Those close to the striker meanwhile say that Real Madrid has long been his dream move, and that the recent switch of representative to Pini Zahavi is seen as last chance to get to the Bernabeu now that he's 29 - set to turn 30 in August - given the Israeli agent's good relationship with Perez.
Chelsea have also been mooted by Lewandowski's camp as a potential destination, as he is said to want a new challenge after almost four years at Bayern.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies