With reports that Harry Kane is looking to leave Tottenham Hotspur this summer, could this force a rethink of Manchester United's transfer priorities?
At this point in the season, with all the buildup to the summer transfer window, it is no secret that Manchester United are after the highly rated Erling Haaland. However, with many clubs chasing his signature, United are prepared for each outcome, with an alternative up their sleeve.
Reports this morning now claim that the England captain Harry Kane is prepared to tell Tottenham that he would like to leave if they fail to qualify for the Champions League this season.
With this news, The Athletic are reporting that despite United having their eyes firmly set on Haaland as their prime target, they see Kane as an alternative if they should fail to sign the Borussia Dortmund striker. In order for United to acquire Kane as their alternative, they will look to offer players in part-exchange hoping to bring the fee down.
The two-time Premier League Golden Boot winner has a preference to stay in the country after parting ways with Tottenham, although he would reportedly consider a move abroad.
As Edison Cavani’s contract is looking unlikely to be renewed, an extra striker appears to be at the top of Solskjaer's priority list. The two strikers mentioned so far would not be easy signings at all. It is thought that Daniel Levy, the chairman of Tottenham, will decline any enquiry or offer for Harry Kane this summer.
For United to secure the signature of Haaland, they will need to beat European giants such as Real Madrid and Barcelona, on top of city rivals Manchester City. This is not the only obstacle restricting United in the road to signing Haaland, they will also need to negotiate with Mino Raiola, the agent of the player, who has been known to cause problems for United over recent years.
Both targets will have a requisite fee to bring them to Old Trafford, each taking a large chunk from United’s spending budget for the summer. So this sparks the question, who is the best target for United?
There is no doubt that Haaland is the better option for United, being the younger striker and perhaps the easier signing with Tottenham unlikely to give up their star striker to their league competitors.
It is understood that the asking price for Harry Kane would be around £150 million whilst Haaland could set United back £180 million and, as we know from previous windows, Borussia Dortmund can be very stubborn in their price tags.
There is hope for United fans as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is known to have strong relationships with Haaland from their time together at Molde, and there have been reports that Solskjaer has already been in contact with the player.
In terms of Harry Kane, United are known to be admirers of English talent under Solskjaer and Harry Kane’s relationships with other English players from United could be a driving force for a future transfer.
Whichever striker joins United, they both add a prolific goal scoring ability to the squad, with Harry Kane already proving his abilities in the Premier League. They would both fit into Solskjaer’s systems well, where they’d play primarily as a sole striker in a 4-2-3-1 shape.
Which striker would you prefer leading United’s front line?
Originally published for The United Stand.
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