Gary Neville believes Manchester United should sign Harry Kane in the summer and complete Sir Alex Ferguson's ideal transfer.
The Red Devils are on the hunt for a new centre-forward after Cristiano Ronaldo was released by mutual consent last November. Wout Weghorst was signed on loan in January, but the short-term solution is not expected to lead to a permanent transfer.
Kane has just 16 months left on his deal and is yet to be convinced about signing an extension, which could force Tottenham to cash in. The 29-year-old is still waiting to win his first major honour and his next contract is likely to be the last long-term deal of his career.
Spurs were dumped out of the FA Cup by Championship side Sheffield United on Wednesday, meaning they will need to win the Champions League if they are to end their 15-year trophy drought this term. That is not impossible, but unlikely.
Manchester United, meanwhile, won the Carabao Cup last Sunday and will be confident of adding more trophies to their collection under the management of Erik ten Hag. The Dutchman has impressed since his appointment last summer and will have more silverware in his sight.
With United's Premier League rivals not on the hunt for a new centre-forward, Neville has urged his former employers to take advantage of Kane's situation.
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Neville told Sky Sports, "He’s a great professional and I think if Harry Kane could leave now and get him an exit out of there to a club in Manchester - probably United or [Manchester] City, I think he would take that opportunity. Now, it’s more than likely that it wouldn’t be City because of their [Erling] Haaland expenditure and what they’ve done with him.
"Man United are desperate for a centre-forward. Tottenham fans will be furious with me - they’ll say it’s me coming on television trying to get their player to Man United. It’s not. It just looks to me like at this moment in time that the most likely move."
Neville believes Kane would not join Chelsea or Arsenal due to Tottenham's rivalry with both clubs. The England captain is Tottenham's record scorer with 268 goals in 421 games after overtaking the late, great Jimmy Greaves earlier this season.
"Bayern Munich has been mentioned and that could happen," added Neville. "[Tottenham chair] Daniel Levy would be happier if he was sold internationally, so we could see that. But I think if Harry wants to win trophies, then he’s going to have to leave Tottenham, because they do struggle with that aspect."
If Kane does join United, Ferguson would be pleased by the news. During his time in charge at Old Trafford, the Scot had a knack of signing the Premier League's best strikers, such as Andy Cole, Louis Saha, Dwight Yorke, Wayne Rooney, Eric Cantona and Robin van Persie.
Ferguson even signed strikers from Tottenham, including Dimitar Berbatov and Teddy Sheringham. The legendary former United boss believed in bringing the best players to Old Trafford, which is one of the reasons why he won 13 Premier League titles.
Kane would certainly be classed in the same bracket as those aforementioned. Ferguson has waxed lyrical about the forward on many occasions. Speaking to Sport Bible in 2021, the retired manager was asked to name a top player. "I think Kane is," came his reply.
Furthermore, Ferguson has stated that Marcus Rashford should not be played as a centre-forward, freeing up space in the team for Kane. He told Sky Sports, "I don't think he [Rashford] is a striker. He operates away from the left-hand side and has been fantastic.
"His finishing is always good, always keeps his shots down - which is really important for a striker - and is in a great vein of form. Unfortunately for us, he's the main source of goals - we could do with an extra one, but he's doing it."
