'Pay £120m!' - Man Utd told by former manager they made Harry Kane transfer mistake as Red Devils need a star striker to 'paper over cracks'

The Red Devils were linked with England captain across several windows, with their search for a reliable No.9 having dragged on for some time. They were unable to prise Kane away from Premier League rivals Tottenham.

The prolific frontman eventually left north London for Bayern Munich in 2023 and has gone on to break his trophy curse in Germany, becoming a Bundesliga title winner. United remain in the market for a proven goalscorer.

Ron Atkinson is of the opinion that they should have paid above and beyond what Spurs were demanding when entering into talks there, with the opportunity being passed up to solve a long-standing problem at Old Trafford.

Former Red Devils boss Atkinson has told The Telegraph: "What would I do if I were in charge there? Well, they could have resolved a lot of stuff by signing a decent striker. They paper over so many cracks. I’d have got Harry Kane. I know they say [Spurs chairman Daniel] Levy wanted £100m for him. OK, so pay £120m. With him up front, the midfield would have known who to pass to, the defence would have played better. Goalscorers make everything better."

Having seen Rasmus Hojlund and Joshua Zirkzee struggle to produce a spark in 2024-25, United are now being linked with a big-money raid on RB Leipzig for Benjamin Sesko - having already missed out on the likes of Liam Delap, Viktor Gyokeres and Hugo Ekitike.