Why Man Utd could have a free run at Kane

Suraj Radia

• 13 Mar 2023 17:04 GMT
• 2 min read

Manchester United may receive a boost in their chase for Harry Kane this summer as one of their rivals for his signing is on the verge of securing an alternative to the Tottenham striker.

Kane will have one year remaining on his contract at the end of the season and may look to leave Spurs after they crashed out of the Champions League to Milan, making it 15 years without a trophy for the club.

United are desperate to sign a number nine this summer and Kane is believed to be among their top targets, with reports that Erik ten Hag’s side are willing to break the transfer record for a British player to sign him.

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However, Tottenham are still hoping to agree a new deal with Kane and have no desire to sell to a Premier League rival, with chairman Daniel Levy only willing to consider a move abroad for Kane.

With that in mind, Bayern Munich were seen as an ideal choice for Spurs to deal with as the German side are long-time admirers of Kane and are in the market for a natural successor to Robert Lewandowski, who left for Barcelona last summer.

But Bayern appear to have been put off by the price tag for Kane, which would likely be in excess of £100 million, and the Bundesliga outfit are believed to be close to signing Marcus Thuram instead, meaning they could bow out the race for the Spurs man and give United a free run for him.

Thuram’s Bayern move leaves Spurs in predicament

Thuram was a target for a host of top European sides in January but opted to see out his contract with Gladbach, which is set to expire in the summer, allowing him to leave for free.

Bayern had earmarked Kane as an ideal replacement for Lewandowski but they now are set to beat their rivals to Thuram and weaken a Bundesliga opponent in the process, at a significantly lower cost than the England captain.

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The news would be a blow for Tottenham, meaning they will likely have no other choice but to negotiate with United if they do wish to cash in on Kane.

Kane has yet to formally decide his future but, should he refuse an extension, Tottenham will have to make the choice to either sell to United or let him leave for free next year, potentially still to another league rival.

The 29-year-old is looking to remain in England whatever happens as he edges towards the all-time Premier League goalscoring record, of which he needs 57 more to break Alan Shearer’s honour.