Why Man Utd could target Osimhen and Vlahovic over Kane

Stuart Telford

• 14 Mar 2023 19:15 GMT
• 3 min read

Manchester United are in the market for a new No.9, but they could be tempted to move for Victor Osimhen or Dusan Vlahovic over Harry Kane, according to reports.

United and Kane would appear to make a lot of sense.

The former need a striker with Cristiano Ronaldo gone, 26-goal top scorer Marcus Rashford preferring the left wing, and Wout Weghorst looking like an increasingly unsatisfactory temporary solution on loan from Burnley.

The latter is the England captain with 203 Premier League goals to his name, but he is yet to win a trophy as he approaches his 30th birthday.

READ: Revealed: How Haaland to Real Madrid could affect Man Utd's Kane pursuit

Kane nearly joined Manchester City two summers ago, but Tottenham Hotspur chairman Dan Levy demanded £150 million and the transfer fell through. He is expected to be just as hard-nosed this time around.

Levy problem

"Sources have told ESPN that the prospect of dealing with Spurs chairman Daniel Levy in order to negotiate a deal for the England captain has left United focusing on alternative options including Napoli's Victor Osimhen and Juventus forward Dusan Vlahovic," report the aforementioned.

"United can't afford to start the season without a new striker," a source told the American sports outlet. "And having dealt with Levy in the past, they don't want to go through that nightmare all over again for Kane with so much at stake, so they might not even get involved."

READ: 'Premier League is my dream!': Osimhen puts Man Utd and Chelsea on RED ALERT

Whether United would have much more luck with one of their other potential targets remains to be seen.

Napoli owner Aurelio De Laurentiis has previously said that a similar figure to that previously demanded for Kane would be required for the Serie A leaders to part with their top scorer. He also highlighted that the club aren't in debt and don’t need to sell.

Valhovic might be the easiest to acquire. Juventus are in legal and financial trouble, with their entire board resigning before Christmas amid five separate legal investigations into the club from authorities.