On paper, Harry Kane to Manchester United is a match made in heaven and a potential transfer that would make sense for both parties.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is looking to reinvigorate his forward line when the transfer window opens again - whenever that might be - and the England captain is exactly the type of striker who could boost United’s attack.
Kane hinted at the weekend he might not be at Spurs forever and with United being long-term admirers, and after a striker in the next transfer window, it’s added fuel to an already burning fire.
When asked about his future on Instagram, Kane said: “I get asked this question a lot, it’s one of them things, I couldn’t say yes, I couldn’t say no.
“I love Spurs, I’ll always love Spurs, but it’s one of them things I’ve always said if I don’t feel like we’re progressing as a team or going in the right direction, I’m not someone to stay there just for the sake of it.
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“I’m an ambitious player. I want to become a top, top player, so it all depends on what happens as a team and how we progress as a team.
“So, it’s not a definite I’m going to stay there forever but it’s not a no either.”
It has been known for some weeks that Kane would prefer a move to Old Trafford instead of staying at Spurs while they undergo an extensive rebuild under new boss and ex-Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho.
But what seemed like a a hint towards a come-and-get-me plea from Kane was soon shot down by the Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy in a statement on Tuesday.
“When I read or hear stories about player transfers this summer like nothing has happened, people need to wake up to the enormity of what is happening around us,” Levy said.
And he is right.
In the grand scheme of everything that is going on in the world right now due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the transfer window is not important. But clubs are still continuing to plan, and whether the window opens in three months, six or even nine, United have a strategy. They know if they’re going to prise Kane away from Spurs it’s going to take more than a huge cheque.
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Levy is a shrewd negotiator and it’s put people off dealing with Tottenham in the past. Sir Alex Ferguson recalled United’s dealings with him in 2008 when they signed Dimitar Berbatov claiming the Spurs chairman ‘nailed United to the flagpole’ with his pressurised negotiating.
“That whole experience was more painful than my hip replacement,” Ferguson wrote in his book Leading.
Not a ringing endorsement and it put United off dealing with Levy again. In 2011, when the club were in need of midfield reinforcements, they decided against making a move for Luka Modric, despite the player wanting the transfer, because of the thought of having to do business with Levy again.
David Gill, United’s former chief executive, has long since left and the understanding is that executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward has no issue with dealing with Levy. But United's negotiation skills have been criticised in recent years with suggestions they have dragged their feet over targets and ultimately ended up missing out.
United’s negotiating to land Kane would have to be remarkable. Spurs don’t want to let their leading Premier League goalscorer leave and, regardless of whether he hints at a potential future exit, Levy is not going to let him go easily, especially not to a close rival.
Levy’s most recent comments suggest he is in no mind to start discussing contracts at this current stage.
Kane’s contract runs until 2024 so not only would it take a phenomenal fee but some first-class negotiating to secure the England captain and that’s something United have been lacking in recent times. United finally got Bruno Fernandes over the line in January , after disagreements with Sporting C.P. saw the deal drag on, and lessons from that would need to be taken going into any potential talks with Tottenham.
Moreover, the 20-time English champions came into the season having failed to replace Romelu Lukaku and Alexis Sanchez up front and frantically completed a deadline-day loan move for Odion Ighalo at the end of January having missed out on Erling Haaland.
At 26, Kane is over the target age of 23 it is believed club sources view as being the ideal age for incoming transfers, but the forward does tick the box of ‘X-Factor’ that the club are also after.
As Ferguson warned others, dealing with Levy comes with side effects. Woodward isn’t afraid of Levy, Mauricio Pochettino was a serious contender for the manager’s job before Solskjaer was given it on a permanent basis, but it won’t be easy and the United hierarchy need to weigh up whether Kane is worth it or if there are more attainable options out there.
