Harry Kane is expected to lead the line for Bayern Munich tonight as they take on Celtic in the UEFA Champions League knockout stage play-off second leg at the Allianz Arena.
The England captain has been in prolific form since his £86million move to the Bundesliga giants 18 months ago, scoring goals at a relentless rate and showcasing the all-round attacking prowess that made him one of Europe’s most sought-after strikers.
But as he prepares to spearhead Bayern’s European last-16 ambitions, it’s a move that could have looked very different had Manchester United succeeded in their pursuit of Kane from Tottenham Hotspur during the summer of 2023 rather than going for the inexperienced Rasmus Hojlund.
Former United coach Benni McCarthy has revealed just how close Erik ten Hag was to making Kane the focal point of his Old Trafford rebuild.
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"In the summer of 2023, Harry Kane was our No1 target,” the ex-Blackburn Rovers talisman said at the launch of Ladrokes' Gaffer of all Accas.
"Kane was the prime target, but obviously the price tag was an issue. Because he would have been leaving Spurs for United, a few extra million pounds were added on to the price tag, which, you know, for a 30-year-old wasn’t seen to be wise.
"But for £100million, if you look at it now, you’d say that it would have been well worth it because he's gone to Bayern and he's still producing, he's still scoring.
“So yeah, Harry Kane was Erik’s No1 target. Erik really wanted him. Randal Kolo Muani was also very high on that list. Victor Osimhen was also on that list.
"But I felt that if you're going to want to spend that kind of money – £100million plus – then you want to complete package. And Harry Kane, for me, was the complete package.
"Unfortunately, the club didn't see it that way. They looked at it as Rasmus Hojlund, in the long run, would be a more prized asset than investing in both Rasmus and Harry Kane.
"So we stopped pursuing Kane, and we ended up getting just Rasmus."
