Manchester United are desperate to sign Harry Kane this summer - and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has previously lifted the lid on his failed pursuit of the striker.
The Red Devils have made the Tottenham striker their top target as Erik ten Hag attempts to bring a world-class No.9 to Old Trafford. It is understood United chiefs are hopeful that £80million will be enough to prise Kane away from north London, with the England captain out of contract at the end of next season.
Having established himself as Tottenham and England's record goalscorer, Kane - who turns 30 in July - is desperate to win trophies and knows he must move to achieve that. Indeed, Ten Hag is hopeful that a top-level forward will help him challenge the likes of Arsenal and Manchester City for the Premier League title.
But this isn't the first time United have been linked with a move for Kane, with former captain Roy Keane demanding the club sign him back in 2019. During punditry duties for Sky Sports, the Irishman abruptly interrupted Graeme Souness and Gary Neville's debate on how United can fix their goalscoring problems with his own simple solution.
"Go and get [Harry] Kane," said Keane. "Just go and get Kane from Spurs, easy. He'll score 20 goals a season with his eyes shut. They're in disarray, so go and get him."
Solskjaer, who was United's manager at the time before leaving in 2021, was then asked for his thoughts on Keane's suggestion. He said: "Roy's quite straightforward, isn't he?
"For us it's [about] working hard. Getting Anthony back is going to be a massive boost for us and I'm sure, when he comes back, that'll help Marcus as well.
"With the forwards we've got and the pace, I'm looking forward to the next few weeks. There aren't many [Robert] Lewandowskis and Harry Kanes - they're like [Alan] Shearer, [Ruud] Van Nistelrooy, fantastic players.
"Ours are different types of players but I like someone who can finish half a chance and Harry does that, but Harry is a Tottenham player."
Indeed, Solskjaer's admission suggests that it may not be easy for United to secure the transfer of Kane. Spurs supremo Daniel Levy is known to be a tough negotiator and will understandably hold out for the biggest fee he can get.
But, should United manage to land the deal, Ten Hag knows he will be signing one of the best strikers in world football. The 29-year-old has 205 goals in 311 Premier League appearances but is yet to secure silverware with Spurs, where he has spent his entire career.
It will certainly be one of the biggest transfer sagas of the summer, although it may depend on whether United secure a Champions League spot. Ten Hag will be hoping he has better luck than Solskjaer did.
