Manchester United are sold on Harry Kane but would Tottenham let him go? This is what we know

This will be the third summer in succession when Harry Kane’s future is the subject of speculation. There are still questions about exactly what happened during the 2021 window when Manchester City flirted with signing the England captain, but their offer was nowhere near sufficient to give Tottenham Hotspur a serious decision to make.

There was more of the same last year from different clubs, albeit dialled down significantly.

Now, it is the team from the red half of Manchester that seems set for several weeks of reports on Kane when the market opens.

The 29-year-old has been on United’s list of targets since Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was manager, but only now, as the striker approaches the final year of his Spurs contract, is the prospect of bringing him to Old Trafford seen as plausible. While there is no desire at Tottenham to sell Kane, there may be an argument to cash in on him while they still can. That would help fund new signings — not that they need to sell to buy — and it is not clear yet whether Spurs will have Champions League revenue for next season. The question would be whether Daniel Levy would sanction Kane’s departure for a £100m-plus transfer fee or risk losing him for nothing when his contract expires in 2024.

People close to United — who will, as with all sources in this article, remain anonymous to protect relationships — say Erik ten Hag is sold on Kane as his first choice for a new centre-forward, the absolute priority position this summer. Staff have brought the United manager up to speed on the anecdotal details behind the hard numbers.

Injury to Kane meant Ten Hag did not manage against him when Ajax met Tottenham in the Champions League semi-finals in 2019, but the Dutchman has long been well across the sheer scale of goals. Since then, Kane has become the record goalscorer for England and Tottenham and has a playing style that suits what Ten Hag sees as the centre-forward role. Colleagues have added information on Kane’s professionalism and character. As one source close to the club said: “Plenty of people in the building would love to see him in a United shirt.”

Work is being done to assess whether the transfer is achievable, both as far as Spurs and Kane are concerned.

United, still bruised from the Frenkie de Jong saga last summer, do not want to get drawn into another prolonged pursuit. United agreed a fee with Barcelona for De Jong but the player resisted a move. The situation may be flipped here, with United staff feeling the club would appeal to Kane.

It must be stressed that Kane, who turns 30 in July, is focused on doing all he can to get Spurs into the Champions League places again. He wants to be a leader amid the turbulence, supporting Cristian Stellini and Ryan Mason for the club’s final 10 games of the campaign. His future can wait until the end of the season when the picture is clearer. Recommitting to Tottenham has not been ruled out, with Kane open to a new contract. Spurs tried to get him to sign an improved extension after the City move failed.

United would hope Champions League football and the upward trajectory under Ten Hag would prove persuasive. They have financial fair play considerations but will be able to spend money, even if the Glazers remain as owners, due to a revolving credit facility that has a £300million limit.

Ten Hag, as shown by signing midfielder Casemiro from Real Madrid last summer in a deal worth up to £70million ($86m), is prepared to sanction big spending on proven quality for immediate success.

The difficulty comes when negotiating with Tottenham.

It is said Levy, often inscrutable, has not set a price for Kane.

Typically, he likes to drive talks to the very brink of deadline day. In his mind that increases the leverage for the seller and gains a better price. There are people at United who remember past experiences and would groan at the thought of going down that route again. David Gill and Sir Alex Ferguson, brought more into the fold under chief executive Richard Arnold, were left exhausted by the protracted process of recruiting Dimitar Berbatov in 2008.

Levy’s hand might be more forced here as Kane enters the final year of his deal, but then again he kept Christian Eriksen into his last season and sold him to Inter that January for £16.9million. The difference there was Levy was open to selling Eriksen, even to United, that summer, but Eriksen decided to stay put.

Now Levy is under more pressure than ever after another failed managerial appointment ended with Antonio Conte rounding on the board. Then there is the turmoil around Fabio Paratici, who has stepped away from his role as managing director after FIFA enforced a worldwide ban issued by the Italian FA.

Adding to this by selling Kane, the club’s totem, could go down as disastrous public relations. There are informed people in the industry who are adamant Levy will not sell Kane, no matter what offers arrive.

This is what United are trying to figure out. They are assessing various options right now.

They do have other plausible targets. Checks have been made on Napoli’s Victor Osimhen, Benfica’s Goncalo Ramos and Brighton & Hove Albion’s Evan Ferguson. How those conversations go will dictate United’s approach towards Kane. Ferguson, however, is expected to sign a new contract with Brighton. Aged 18, he wants regular football.

On Kane, Bayern Munich have been in touch but they are unsure he would leave England. Kane (on 204 goals) is closing in on Alan Shearer’s all-time Premier League scoring record of 260.

Chelsea are the only other ‘Big Six’ English side in need of a striker. But a path from north London to west London is hugely fraught due to the rivalry. Levy dealing with Chelsea is not a prospect many can contemplate. Kane, meanwhile, would not wish to damage his Spurs legacy. Also, it looks like Chelsea will need to win the Champions League if they are to play in the competition next year.

For Spurs, there is a similarity to that 2021 summer, when they were also searching for a new manager. Kane’s role at the club was a feature of discussions with candidates then and it is likely to be the same again now.

If Kane is to leave Tottenham, he is determined to do so through the front door. His love for the club is clear.

He is said to be relaxed about the long term. For him, the only priority is finishing the season on a high note with Spurs.

(Additional reporting: Raphael Honigstein)

(Top photo: Getty Images; design: Sam Richardson)