The weekend events at Wembley offered clear evidence of the gap Manchester United must try and bridge this summer.
United were largely outplayed by Manchester City in the FA Cup final. It was a game the Blues might have only won by one goal, but it was an encounter they were firmly in control of. United now face a key summer in the transfer market. Though there is uncertainty over the club's ownership and how big a transfer kitty Erik Ten Hag will have at his disposal, it is clear where United must strengthen in their ranks if they are to mount a credible title challenge next season.
Bringing in a new top quality centre forward is key. United cannot solely rely on Marcus Rashford to provide the bulk of the goals despite the best campaign of his career.
READ MORE: Chelsea and Real Madrid transfer decisions could have big Manchester United summer impact
Adding a top class option up front has been evident since Cristiano Ronaldo's departure in November. The signing of Wout Weghorst on loan in January was only a stop-gap and his return of just two goals has not been good enough, despite his work rate and endeavour.
United have several options on their summer shopping list and Tottenham Hotspur and England captain Harry Kane is at the top. Ten Hag has been described as 'obsessed' about the prospect of signing him.
It it not difficult to imagine why he would be. Kane is one of the best strikers in the world, the record goalscorer for his club and country, a consummate professional and one who would surely improve any team in the world.
He is out of contract in 12 months time and this summer realistically poses the last chance Spurs have to obtain a substantial fee for the striker. High profile deals are rarely straightforward and this one will likely be no exception to that rule with United operating under the assumption Spurs will not sanction a Kane departure.
United know all too well that Spurs chairman Daniel Levy likes to drag out transfer negotiations for prized assets, having experienced it in 2008 when signing Dimitar Berbatov, where a late approach from City helped to complicate the picture, though the Bulgarian did eventually move to Old Trafford.
Sir Alex Ferguson later described the process of signing Berbatov as more painful than his hip replacement. United have not signed another player directly from Spurs since, no doubt mindful of the hard bargain Levy drives.
United could end up going elsewhere this summer to solve their striking conundrum, with Napoli's Victor Osimhen another high profile target. And they may well have to with Levy not the only stumbling block.
Real Madrid are on the hunt for a new centre forward after the departure of Karim Benzema. The Athletic has reported that Real boss Carlo Ancelotti has told the club's board that he wants Kane as a potential replacement.
Ancelotti recently said: “I have always said that Kane is a great player, but he plays for Tottenham and we have to respect the player and Tottenham.”
And Real have a key advantage over United in this transfer saga. They are not a domestic rival to Spurs so it could be a more palatable exit for Levy. Real are also no strangers to taking star players from Spurs and stumping up the money to do so.
Luka Modric swapped London for Madrid in 2012, a year on from a collapsed move to Chelsea, while Gareth Bale headed to the Bernabeu in 2013 for a then world record £86m fee, four years after Real paid United £80m for Cristiano Ronaldo's services.
The prospect of Kane being at United is a mouth-watering one and would be a statement signing, one which would help to bridge the gap to City. He knows the Premier League inside out and would guarantee United an extra 25 goals a season in the peak years of his career.
United have back-up plans in place and are rightly exploring other options in the event that Levy and Spurs do not entertain any approaches for Kane this summer. That could even mean hanging on to him for another 12 months and see him walk away for nothing in June 2024.
But with Real now perhaps prepared to enter the fray, United may well have had the decision to pursue the England captain taken out of their hands.
A Manchester Evening News special souvenir edition - Fergie's First - charts United's 1992/93 title-winning campaign and you can get your hands on one here
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