Manchester United’s plans to sign Harry Kane could be left in a mess after Real Madrid publicly confirmed their stance over a deal.
The Red Devils are in need of a new forward ahead of next season with loanee Wout Weghorst struggling to convince since his loan switch from Burnley. Harry Kane and Victor Osimhen have both been linked with moves to Old Trafford in the summer.
Speaking amid the speculation surrounding a move for a big name forward, Erik ten Hag refused to turn down the prospect of a striker arriving in the summer. The Dutchman said: “Yeah, I think everyone knows. It’s not a secret that over the whole season we had a shortage of No.9s.
“First, we had the dropout of Ronaldo, then Antony Martial was often not available, Jadon Sancho was often not available, then you have a shortage of frontline players. With less players we have to cover many games, so definitely we need in the frontline players who strengthen the squad.
“You can approach that from many ways. The typical No.9, Rashford can also play very good as a No. 9 and Anthony Martial is a great No.9.
“We have players who can play in that role but, definitely, we need some offensive players who are really impact players, quality players, who improve the frontline.”
Which striker do you think Man Utd should sign in the summer? Share your thoughts in the comments below
However, Real Madrid might have something to say about the Red Devils’ attempts to invest. Los Blancos’ regular number nine Karim Benzema is now 35 and out of contract at the end of the season.
There are plans in place for a new deal at the Santiago Bernabeu but regardless, boss Carlo Ancelotti has confirmed plans for the club to sign a striker sooner rather than later.
Speaking to reporters, the Italian said: “The project for the future for the club is to sign a 9, because Karim is the age he is. But Karim is doing very well up until now and while he is in good condition, it’s working very well.”
Real have a number of options that they could also consider. Like United, they have been linked with a swoop for Spurs star Kane. Bayern Munich have also been credited with an interest in him.
Another option could potentially be Man City star Erling Haaland. Real have been linked with a move for the Norwegian for some time and it was suggested that they would aim to take advantage of a release clause in his contract.
They will now not be able to do that with that aforementioned release clause being taken out of Haaland’s deal after Pep Guardiola agreed fresh terms at the Etihad Stadium.
