Manchester United have made Harry Kane their top target this summer and for good reason.
United have been lacking a reliably clinical striker for years and if it wasn't for the resurgent form of Marcus Rashford this season Erik ten Hag's transformation would not have gone as well. Let alone a striker who can score, the manager has had to work with limited strikers full stop.
Anthony Martial has been injured for most of the campaign, Cristiano Ronaldo was never suited to Ten Hag's style and left in a strop and although Wout Weghorst does good work, he struggles to find the back of the net. Kane would bring all the quality in possession as well the cutting edge that over 20 goals a season for nine years attests to.
Also read: Signing Kane would be a coup with caveats for United
However, signing him will be no easy accomplishment. Even though Kane is in the final year of his contract, Tottenham will not let him go easily and chairman Daniel Levy is historically reluctant to do business with domestic rivals.
There are alternative options but which one should United go for if they can't sign Kane? MEN Sport writers have answered the question below.
Samuel Luckhurst
Kane would be a coup with caveats if United somehow prise him from Daniel Levy. Someone who has worked with Levy told me Erik ten Hag would have to "kill him" to sign Kane. I think he was joking.
Given England's mid-June internationals, Kane's downtime, Levy's stubbornness and the fact United have not signed anyone from Tottenham since 2008, Kane would not be a swift deal. It would be remarkable if the 'saga' did not extend into August. If Spurs finish fourth, then it's possibly mission impossible.
An inevitable ordeal, Kane's age (he would be 30 if he does pull on a United shirt) and the wear and tear from almost a decade of Premier League football, as well as five taxing international tournaments, are red flags guiding United to look elsewhere.
Victor Osimhen is a spectacular striker spearheading one of the finest teams in Europe in Napoli. There is a risk he could be a one-season-wonder but he has gradually improved year on year in Naples and the promise was there during his sole season with Lille. He has all of the attributes to be the complete striker at a more scrutinised club.
The dilemma is Napoli, like Tottenham, drive a hard bargain and if they do not want to sell a talent they tend to keep them. But Osimhen would be as much as if not more of a coup than Kane.
Rich Fay
It has to be Victor Osimhen.
There is a fair argument that Kane would be the best bet for immediate goals given his Premier League experience, but a pursuit of him would come at the price of a huge transfer fee, protracted transfer talks, and a shorter shelf-life than Osimhen.
Instead, the focus should be on signing a younger player this summer who they won't need to replace again in the near-future and who can spearhead their attack for years to come.
Osimhen appears to be the perfect fit, not only because he is only 24, but also because he has proven that he is a complete striker this season.
The Nigerian not only has 25 goals in 29 appearances, but he has scored every type of goal and looks like the same calibre of elite striker who could rival Kane and Erling Haaland next season.
Daniel Murphy
Victor Osimhen ticks all the boxes and would, on current form, be a perfect addition and thanks to his younger age perhaps even a smarter one than Harry Kane. But he has played over 400 games less than the England captain and isn't a proven Premier League quality.
Instead of spending what would like be well over the hundred million mark for the Napoli man I would go with a slightly different tact. Tottenham may be able to stop Kane leaving this year but they'll have no such power when his contract expires in 2024. It might be worth United holding out on spending the big bucks this year when they could get Kane for nothing.
Then instead, they could turn to a slightly cheaper yet still immensely talented player to see them through for a year. Erik ten Hag is an admirer of Mohammed Kudus after seeing him develop at Ajax. The 22-year-old is a good goal scorer with 18 to his name this season and can lead the line. But he is also versatile enough to play deeper in a creative role or even on the flanks. So even if Kane did arrive 12 months later he would still have a plenty of places to fit in the team and not be pushed out. And if it went really well Kane might not even be needed anyway!
It has risks, of course. Kane will be harder to get when he's going for nothing and Osimhen could go on to smash it for someone else. But if Kane is the man Ten Hag really wants then there is no harm in a little patience.
READ MORE:
- 'Sometimes I want to kill!' - interview with Lisandro Martinez
- 'Only people at the club know' - interview with Marcus Rashford on his stunning comeback
- 'Football is like dying. Ronaldo still thinks he's 25' - interview with Eric Cantona
- 'Now we are not afraid to play against anyone' - interview with Bruno Fernandes
- 'The culture needed to change' - interview with David de Gea
