Manchester United will not get involved in a lengthy bidding war with Tottenham for Harry Kane.
United need to sign a new striker this summer after allowing Cristiano Ronaldo to leave the club in November. Wout Weghorst was signed on loan from Burnley in January, but the Netherlands international is not the long-term answer to United's striker dilemma and has struggled for goals since arriving.
Kane, 29, would be a superb signing for the Red Devils and is about to enter the final year of his Tottenham contract. Yet Spurs chairman Daniel Levy is known for driving a hard bargain for his club's most valuable assets and won't let Kane go on the cheap.
As reported by the Daily Star, that could force United to give up the chase for the England captain. Erik ten Hag's side do not want to be drawn into a lengthy transfer saga, with other options available. Victor Osimhen, who has 26 goals for Napoli this season, is an attractive alternative.
It's believed United are willing to pay £80million for Kane, a considerable amount considering the forward's situation. He is not expected to sign a new deal at Tottenham after their disappointing campaign, forcing Levy to make a huge decision.
Levy will either need to sell Kane this summer or risk losing him on a free after June 2024. Levy may be willing to pick the latter option, as there's a chance Kane could be persuaded to stay at Tottenham if they can finally end their long trophy drought next term.
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Tottenham have not won a trophy since 2008. Kane is a Premier League, Champions League, Euro 2020 and two-time League Cup runner-up, but has never won a major trophy. That has left a blank space on his CV, and he is keen to end his drought in the near future.
Bayern Munich are also interested in signing Kane and Spurs would prefer to sell abroad, but it's understood United would be his preferred choice. The prolific star wants to stay in England to become the Premier League's record scorer, beating Alan Shearer's tally of 260 goals.
Kane, who has found the net 207 times in England's top flight, was quizzed about taking Shearer's record last month. He said: "I'm getting closer, so it's for sure something I want to achieve. But I try not to look too far ahead in football."
United, who won the Carabao Cup two months ago and have reached the FA Cup final, appear more ready to challenge for trophies than Spurs amid the London club's latest managerial turmoil and could facilitate Kane's Premier League dream. Yet the Red Devils do not want another Frenkie de Jong situation on their hands.
United spent much of last summer trying to sign the Netherlands international from Barcelona, only to fail. Ten Hag wants to land his summer recruits nice and early this year to give them plenty of time to integrate with the squad ahead of the new season.
Ten Hag's ultimate aim is to win the Premier League title or the Champions League at Old Trafford. United have not been champions of England for a decade, and they have not lifted the European Cup for 15 years. Their supporters expect success.
