Manchester United don't need extra motivation to secure a top-four finish but by keeping Tottenham out of it they may just make Harry Kane's transfer decision for him.
Defeat at Newcastle United on Sunday saw Erik ten Hag's side out of the Champions League places and deep in a fight to qualify for next season's flagship European competition. Things are very tight below Arsenal and Manchester City, with the Reds alongside Eddie Howe's side and Tottenham on 50 points.
Ten Hag's men can swiftly re-establish their superiority with a win at home to Brentford this evening - the first of their two games in hand over Spurs - and have the North London club to face away from home. It is still in their hands, despite a run of three game without a win in the league.
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All three of those games have seen United draw a blank and that is proof of how desperate Ten Hag is for a world-class goalscorer come summer. Wout Weghorst cannot be criticised for his effort but the Dutchman has scored just twice in his 19 consecutive starts.
So often Marcus Rashford has been the source of goals but the 25-year-old has been kept quiet in recent weeks and the lack of danger from elsewhere has been problematic. Ten Hag has made Kane his prime target this summer, but with Spurs chairman Daniel Levy so insistent on keeping his star, getting a deal over the line will be easier said than done.
The Reds will be helped, of course, by Kane agitating for a move. It didn't work out for him when he tried to join Man City in 2021 but with a year left on his contract, Levy may be forced to cave if his talisman makes clear his desire to leave.
Kane has made no secret of his wish to win trophies and compete on the biggest stages, and morale with Tottenham will have been dented by elimination in both FA and Carabao Cups. As is so often the case down there, all that is left come April is top-four.
Spurs' failure to qualify for that competition would surely be the final nail in the coffin, and it may be written the stars that United can be the ones to take advantage. After Sunday's result, Newcastle can say they have overcome their slump and the Magpies look most likely to qualify at this stage.
A draw at Goodison Park on Monday, after seeing Everton go down to 10-men with 30 minutes left before conceding in the final minutes, was another painful blow for Spurs and another night of frustration for Kane, a goal from the spot not enough to get his side going once again.
Kane's future has been speculated over since 2021, but with two months of the season left and United in hot pursuit, rarely has it looked so uncertain. Champions League football next year may be all they can offer him for next season, but if United can take that from them, then they may well steal their star as well.
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