Manchester United have always attracted the best of the players across the world and despite the recent lack of silverware, the Red Devils, due to their glorious history continue to pull big names to the Old Trafford as has been witnessed earlier this summer, when despite featuring in the Europa League, United managed to get players like Paul Pogba, Zlatan Ibrahimović and Henrikh Mkhitaryan into their fold.
Each transfer window, the 20-time league winners are linked with the top cream of players and more often than not, they happen to get their pick in the transfer market. One such player who has constantly been linked with a move to the north-west of England over the past year and a half is Harry Kane. The Tottenham Hotspurs striker has become one of the most prolific forwards in the Premier League over the past two years and ever since his emergence, United have monitored the Englishman and are now keen to sign him in the upcoming summer.
Ever since he broke into the Spurs’ first team in the 2013-14 season, Kane has gone from strength to strength under manager Mauricio Pochettino and has grown into one of the most feared and sought after forwards in the Premier League. He announced his arrival on the big stage in the subsequent season, finishing the 2014-15 campaign with a stunning 21 goals, only five behind eventual Premier League Golden Boot winner Sergio Aguero. The 2015-16 season was the best year for Kane in Tottenham colours as he led his team very close to the Premier League title scoring 25 goals and ending up as the Golden Boot winner at the age of 22.
And Kane has begun this season on a similar note, having already scored 12 times in all competitions for the Lilywhites. Ten of those have come in the Premier League, despite him missing five games early in the season due to an ankle injury. Harry Kane has been the driving force for Spurs over the past two years and was duly rewarded for his excellent performances with a new contract in December 2016 that sees him extend his stay at the White Hart Lane till 2022.
However, that has not discouraged suitors United who are reportedly willing to pay as high as £80 million to get the services of the striker. The results are going the Red Devils’ way over the past month, as the goals are flowing in. However, they went through a lull earlier in the season when Mourinho’s men were struggling to score and kill off games, which saw them drop crucial points against the likes of Stoke City, Burnley and West Ham United in the league.
Despite Ibrahimovic’s recent upturn in form, he went through a lean patch which coincided with United’s worst run this season and that should be a reason enough for Mourinho to strengthen his attacking options in the summer. Zlatan may have been brilliant in the past weeks, but he is not a long-term solution for the Portuguese.
Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial have been tipped for big things in the future, but judging by their recent performances, it seems with the pace and explosive nature they possess, they are much more suited to playing out on the wings. And even if they are to play through the centre, United cannot rely on them to score 20 times in a season, which is a must for any team aspiring for the Premier League title. All these aspects make the case stronger for United to break the bank in their pursuit of Kane.
The Englishman has shown he has the mettle to score freely and carry his team past the finish line time and again for Spurs. His passion for the game and hunger for goals is always visible each time he takes the field. Good pace, sublime finishing abilities, a great header of the ball and adept at set-pieces as well as excellent at holding up the play, Kane is as close as it gets to a complete centre-forward. His performances have seen him likened to some of the greats of the game like Alan Shearer and Teddy Sherringham.
With Rooney’s days as a striker a thing of the past and Zlatan’s advancing age, Harry Kane is the right man to carry United forward into a new dawn after faltering in the past few years. United’s current league position may be worse than Spurs, the opportunity of playing in the Champions League may seem slightly bleak with the Red Devils, but as seen this season, the North Londoners do not possess the desired quality to fight it out in Europe’s premiere competition. And with United, Kane will have an opportunity to ply his trade alongside some of the best players in the likes of Pogba and Zlatan, under Jose Mourinho, who has won the Champions League twice and looks to be on his way to building another quality team at the Theatre of Dreams.
Madness Or a Good deal?
Manchester United have always been known for their devastating strike-force over the years. Eric Cantona, Andy Cole, Ruud van Nistelrooy, Wayne Rooney, Robin van Persie and now Zlatan Ibrahimović; some of the finest forwards of the game have graced Old Trafford. And while it may be too soon to consider Harry Kane in such an elite list, the 23-year old has shown enough signs that he is on his way to great things. Break the bank if needed, but sign him up. Go for it Jose!
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