Kane may fall foul of Ferguson golden rule shaping Man Utd transfer policy
Manchester United are reluctant to pursue a move for Harry Kane this summer due to their long-held suspicions of dealing with Tottenham.
Kane, 29, is on United boss Erik ten Hag’s target list this summer as he is on red alert to sign a central striker at Old Trafford. The Spurs frontman will be on the market, with his contract expiring in the summer of 2024 and is likely to be in high demand.
Yet United have not dealt with Spurs since signing Dimitar Berbatov in the summer of 2008, having signed Michael Carrick from the club two years prior. However, the nature of the Berbatov negotiating strategy irritated senior United figures.
Sir Alex Ferguson and former CEO David Gill to vow that they would never deal with the north London club again, and for the remaining five years of their tenures they did not return to Spurs to negotiate for any players.
With 15 years now having passed since that Berbatov deal, the impasse between the clubs has remained. The Manchester Evening News details how those reservations are likely to impact the club’s attempts to sign Kane this summer.
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It is less than a year since United spent a summer window with an ill-fated pursuit of Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong. While an agreement was found with Barca over a transfer, the player himself refused to move and United figures are wary of similar wasted time on this front.
Harry Kane - into the last 15 months of his Tottenham contract - continues to be linked with a move to Man United (Getty Images)Have Your Say! Should Man Utd move to sign Kane this summer? Tell us what you think here.
It is claimed that Ten Hag is ‘obsessed’ with signing Kane, who has scored 26 goals for Tottenham this season in a miserable campaign for the club. They are almost certain to miss out on Champions League football again and with Kane in the final 12 months of his deal, his transfer value is dropping.
However, there is a belief that Kane wants to win trophies – he has yet to land major silverware throughout his career. United won the EFL Cup this campaign, ending six years without a trophy – and are into the FA Cup final. They are also poised to qualify for next season’s Champions League.
Wout Weghorst is leaving Old Trafford at the end of the campaign when his loan deal expires while it is believed that United will listen to offers for Anthony Martial. The only other senior striker in the club’s senior squad is Marcus Rashford, who prefers to play from the left.
United have alternatives in attack should they fail to land Kane. Napoli striker Victor Osimhen is thought to be a key target this summer, but the Nigerian’s price tag may prove excessive. The club also hold great admiration for Benfica striker Goncalo Ramos and Mohammed Kudus, whom Ten Hag coached at Ajax.
United have approached Atalanta regarding their interest in striker Rasmus Hojlund. The Denmark international has enjoyed an impressive debut campaign in Serie A and the Red Devils are monitoring his situation.
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