When Erik ten Hag sat down to plan his perfect summer transfer window, his Manchester United attack would have featured a proven Premier League goalscorer such as Harry Kane and a younger forward ready to develop, like Rasmus Hojlund.
But within a week of the transfer window opening it looks like United’s chances of landing Kane are already over and they are being held to ransom over a deal for 20-year-old Hojlund. United would have expected to pay £86million to sign Kane, not a 20-year-old still learning his game.
It is a sign of the modern transfer market and the lack of strikers available that Atalanta have felt emboldened enough to put a €100million price tag on a forward who scored nine goals in 32 Serie A games this season. Hojlund looks like a talent, but he’s not ready to be leading the line for United.
That price is the beginning of a negotiation, of course, but it’s double what United might have felt was an acceptable fee for the forward. In a summer when they need to make their budget stretch, signing two strikers is already beginning to look difficult and at those figures quoted Atalanta would have to drop their asking price considerably.
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But where else do United turn this summer? Victor Osimhen would cost well over €100million if Napoli were to let him leave. Randal Kolo Muani looks talented but is valued at €80-100million by Eintracht Frankfurt. The likes of Kolo Muani and Benfica’s Goncalo Ramos are by no means guaranteed to thrive in the Premier League.
Domestically, there are few options and all of them will be expensive. United have been linked with Aston Villa’s Ollie Watkins, who would be stepping up considerably at Old Trafford. Brentford forward Ivan Toney might have come under consideration but for his eight-month ban for breaching FA betting rules.
So with United being quoted silly money for forwards who come with a risk, you wonder whether it is still worth pushing Tottenham over a deal for Kane. There is a reluctance to get dragged into an unseemly negotiation with Daniel Levy and a belief that even if Kane is allowed to leave Spurs, it only happens late in the window.
Right now, however, there doesn’t look to be any quick deal available for United. Mason Mount could well be the first signing of the summer and David de Gea’s possible departure might force Ten Hag into the market for a new first-choice goalkeeper.
That could well force a deal for a striker down the list of priorities anyway. The funds available for that position might depend on outgoings as well.
So United should remain open to testing Tottenham’s resolve over Kane. They don’t have any other options lined up at the moment, anyway. If a deal was almost down for Hojlund or a more senior striker, maybe it would be different.
Ten Hag wants United to push for Kane and there is no reason not to when the alternatives are proving unattainable in June. It would feel reckless to push for Hojlund right now when it might mean he ends up only challenging Anthony Martial next season. A better upgrade than that is required.
When it comes to a guarantee of goals, Kane is the gold standard. Maybe he will be out of reach this summer, but in the early stages of this window every striker is beyond the grasp of United.
Kane will play at Old Trafford for England on Monday. He trained at Carrington with the national team over the weekend and Luke Shaw joked he'd been doing his best to show him the facilities and convince him to move.
If it came about, Kane would jump at the chance to come to United and enhance his chances of winning trophies. If they do make a move then he might have to be forceful with Tottenham to push for the opportunity and it's worth keeping options open at the moment.
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