The world braced for another bill to land on Bayern Munich's desk after Harry Kane's Ballon d'Or triumph. The truth took everyone by surprise. Does the England striker's contract with the Bavarian giants, signed after his move from Tottenham, carry an extra cost should he win the "Ballon d'Or"?
Kane claimed the Ballon d'Or for the first time in his career, edging out Kylian Mbappé in a fierce head-to-head battle. The Englishman settled it by the narrowest of margins in the voting, snatching the most coveted prize from a French star who had led the race until the final moments.
One of the biggest football deals of recent years has thrown up a twist. Kane's 100 million euro transfer to Bayern Munich in 2023 includes no bonus clause tied to winning the Ballon d'Or.
Sky Sport revealed that the Bavarian club owe Tottenham Hotspur nothing extra for this individual achievement, bucking the trend in deals involving major stars.
The transfer world knows such terms as "conditional bonuses". These clauses crop up regularly in deals for gifted players and stars, triggering payments worth millions of euros when individual or collective targets are hit.
Kane's deal may be free of a Ballon d'Or bonus, but his Bayern Munich contract does carry others tied to silverware. Domestic honours such as the Bundesliga and the German Cup count, as do continental ones, led by the UEFA Champions League.