Through the midst of a never-ending takeover saga, Manchester United are trying to prepare for the start of the summer transfer window.
The window opens for business next Wednesday and it will mark the beginning of Erik ten Hag's second summer transfer window in charge at Old Trafford. The Reds enjoyed a successful summer last year, laying the foundations for the Dutchman to start taking the club back towards its former heights.
Though United experienced a disappointing conclusion to the campaign, losing 2-1 to Manchester City in Saturday's FA Cup final at Wembley, they did make significant progress in Ten Hag's first season in charge. They achieved their main objective by securing a top-four finish and ended their six-year wait for a trophy by winning the Carabao Cup.
There is no denying that the club did experience one or two bumps in the road along the way, but as transitional seasons go United can reflect proudly on their efforts. However, there is no time for sentiment; Ten Hag will not allow United to rest on their laurels and remain stationary.
READ MORE: Sheikh Jassim submits fifth bid for United
Fuelled with hunger and determination to succeed, Ten Hag will expect United to kick on next season and take the next step in their resurrection. He knows he needs to add to his squad this summer to make that possible and he has long since informed the club's hierarchy of what he will need to ensure the Reds continue on an upward trajectory.
However, ongoing uncertainty with the takeover saga means that it may not be so easy for United to stick to their plans. It is a situation that has rumbled on for far too long and Ten Hag cannot be punished for the Glazers' dawdling.
Nevertheless, regardless of what is going on in the boardroom, United's hierarchy knows that Ten Hag needs to upgrade certain areas within his squad ahead of the start of next season, not least his attacking options. Despite Marcus Rashford's impressive resurrection this term, the Reds were starved of a reliable out-and-out striker to put the ball in the back of the net.
Anthony Martial's fitness was unreliable and Wout Weghorst was not up to the standard required for a United No.9. That position must be strengthened come what may.
As reported by the Manchester Evening News back in March, Tottenham Hotspur ace Harry Kane is Ten Hag's top target to strengthen United's forward options. The England captain is the closest guarantee to a prolific goalscorer you will get in the Premier League, with the exception of Erling Haaland, who broke record after record this season.
Kane, despite being part of a Spurs side that significantly underperformed this season, still managed to plunder 32 goals in all competitions, 30 of which came in the Premier League. He is a seasoned goalscorer who you can almost always rely on to get you out of trouble.
He is exactly the sort of striker United should be going after. However, when it comes to extracting big-name players out of the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, Daniel Levy, as United know only too well, is a real stickler.
He is such a tricky negotiator that United are already operating under the assumption that the Londoners will not cash in on their star asset this summer, despite his contract being up in 12 months' time. If Kane is to get a move to Old Trafford, or indeed anywhere else this summer, he will almost certainly have to try and engineer it himself.
United, of course, are monitoring other targets in the event of being unable to land Kane, such as Atalanta's Rasmus Hojlund and Randal Kolo Muani of Eintracht Frankfurt, but the England star is their top target and Ten Hag is understood to be "obsessed" with him, according to one source. Nevertheless, such is the importance of getting a striker through the door this summer, United cannot afford to take their Kane pursuit too far into the summer and then be left rushing around in a hurry before the bell.
The Reds would, of course, be well within their rights to stick with 'Plan A' and track Kane for as long as possible, in the hope of finally securing his signature, but there will come a point where they have to say enough's enough and focus on bringing in someone else. It cannot rumble on forever.
Kane would almost certainly guarantee United the goals they are looking for, but how long do they let a potential saga rumble on for? An internal deadline must be set for the sake of everyone.
READ NEXT:
