Man Utd missed their 'saviour'! Red Devils told 'the world would be different' if they had Harry Kane after failing to land record-breaking striker

Kane stepped out of his comfort zone in the summer of 2023. He bid farewell to north London as Spurs’ all-time leading scorer and went trophy-chasing at the Allianz Arena. He got his hands on long-awaited silverware when becoming a Bundesliga title winner in 2024-25. That campaign saw United finish 15th in the Premier League and miss out on European qualification.

They have spent big on another No.9, with Benjamin Sesko now being charged with the task of providing inspiration in that role. Things could, however, have been very different for United - who remain stuck in a rut under Portuguese coach Ruben Amorim - had they been able to secure Kane’s signature.

Pat Nevin, who spent time in the English top-flight with Chelsea and Everton during his playing days, admits as much as told Escapist Magazine of a frontman that has reached 100 goals in Bavaria through 104 appearances: "I've been lucky to go to Bayern quite a lot - I see him all the time. He was unbelievably important at Spurs - he's more important at Bayern. He's actually more important. He's a bigger, better player, even than he was back then. It's just stunning to think of. It really is stunning. He is that crucial to Bayern Munich that Bayern Munich would have their fingernails pulled out before letting him go. So A, they're not going to stop wanting him. They adore him - he's their best player by a country mile. He's playing with an intelligent team. He's scoring staggering amounts of goals, he's playing in the Champions League.

"If someone then said, do you want to play for Manchester United? Where they are at the moment, I mean, really? It wouldn't even make sense at the moment, right? What are the other options in the Premier League? I mean, it might make sense in a couple of years because Manchester United might do much, much better and he would be the final piece. And by the way, had they got Harry Kane and he didn't go to Bayern Munich, the world would be different. I honestly think the world would be different. Because he would have made a big difference and could have been the saviour of Manchester United. But it didn't happen. He moved elsewhere and he was let go.

"He is up there and should be compared with Erling Haaland as a goalscorer. He's that good. And the only reason why his numbers aren't as good as Haaland's is because he was playing for Spurs back then, who weren't getting as many chances. That’s nothing against Spurs, he just wasn’t getting as many chances as Haaland."

Kane is seeing a return to English football mooted, with their break clauses in his contract that can be triggered by interested parties, and Nevin believes there is a chance that the 32-year-old ends up back at Spurs.

The Scot added: "So who else? Would Liverpool take a player at Kane’s age? Probably not. Chelsea? Absolutely not. They don't pay big money for people who don't have resale value. That's just the way it is with Chelsea. So you're actually running out of clubs aren’t you? It's just Spurs. And it's Spurs for the heart. I wouldn't be shocked by Kane going back to Spurs. That's the one.

"If Harry ever did come back, he'd do it because he cares. There's not that many like it, but I think Harry's one of them. Because remember, he stayed a lot longer than most of us thought he should do. And I think he's got a feeling for that club. So if he comes back, I wouldn't be surprised if it was for Spurs."

Any return to Tottenham would give Kane a chance to chase down Alan Shearer’s all-time Premier League goals record. He is, however, under contract in Germany through to the summer of 2027 and has offered no indication that he is considering a retracing of professional steps.