Manchester United’s pursuit of Harry Kane ended in a whimper after he signed a new deal with Bayern Munich last week. The English striker’s previous contract was due to expire at the end of this season, adding to speculation regarding his future and fuelling talks of a possible return to the Premier League.
However, Kane has since poured cold water on those rumours by committing himself to the Bundesliga champions until 2029. That may have effectively ended all chances of a move to Old Trafford in January or even next summer.
The English giants are in desperate need of a proven No. 9 in their squad, and Kane would have been perfect for the job.
United’s striker woes
United have been home to some legendary strikers in the past but have struggled to fill the position ever since Robin van Persie left. There have been moments of optimism with Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Romelu Lukaku, and Edinson Cavani, but the Red Devils have mostly faltered with their striker signings in the post-Sir Alex Ferguson era.
The English giants did have the opportunity to sign Kane in 2023, before his move to the Allianz Arena, but ended up securing Rasmus Højlund instead. Joshua Zirkzee and Benjamin Šeško have followed the Dane to Old Trafford, and neither have managed to impress.
This season, the Slovenian has registered just two goals in six games and remains sidelined until at least January. Zirkzee was not rated by Michael Carrick and has done little of note either.
United are 18th in the Premier League table after 10 games, and Carrick has already been replaced by Mauricio Pochettino this week. The Argentine is expected to mount an immediate turnaround while also building a team that can challenge for trophies soon.
Pochettino’s arrival, meanwhile, could also put United in a strong position to eventually secure a long-term target – Kane.
Pochettino will be eyeing Kane reunion
Kane exploded onto the scene under Pochettino at Tottenham Hotspur and would go on to register 169 goals in 242 appearances during their time together. The Argentine knows exactly how to set his team up to get the best out of the sizzling striker, so his presence at Old Trafford will certainly be an alluring factor.
Kane, however, has also been on a goalscoring spree under Vincent Kompany at the Allianz Arena, managing 112 goals in 117 appearances. As such, even though Pochettino could be keen to rekindle his partnership with the English striker, the Argentine’s presence alone may not suffice.
He will have to build a team that can fight for trophies and perhaps even win one before he can tempt Kane into a reunion. Bayern are constantly challenging for silverware, and United would have to show the Englishman that they can be on a par with the German giants to convince him to move.
That, however, could also work as motivation for a club which has struggled to get going for some time. Success will draw better players, and there are few better than the 2026 Ballon d’Or winner.
| Competition | Apps | Minutes | Starts | Sub appearances | Goals | Non-penalty goals | Assists | Goals + assists | Minutes per goal | Avg rating | Shots | Shots on target | Shot accuracy % | Conversion % | Passes | Pass accuracy % | Key passes | Dribbles attempted | Dribbles completed | Dribble success % | Tackles | Interceptions | Tackles + interceptions | Blocks | Duels | Duels won | Duels won % | Dribbled past | Fouls won | Fouls committed | Yellow cards | Red cards | Penalties won | Penalties conceded | Penalties scored | Penalties missed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bundesliga | 9 | 715 | 8 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 8 | 12 | 179 | 7.51 | 31 | 11 | 35.5% | 12.9% | 206 | 79.0% | 22 | 14 | 6 | 42.9% | 5 | 2 | 7 | 4 | 59 | 27 | 45.8% | – | 8 | 4 | 0 | 0 | – | – | 1 | 0 |
| UEFA Champions League | 4 | 360 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 7 | 90 | 7.90 | 16 | 7 | 43.8% | 25.0% | 103 | 82.0% | 9 | 5 | 2 | 40.0% | 2 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 25 | 14 | 56.0% | – | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | – | – | 2 | 0 |
| UEFA World Cup Qualifiers | 2 | 180 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 90 | 8.10 | 8 | 5 | 62.5% | 25.0% | 35 | – | 1 | 3 | 2 | 66.7% | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 8 | 6 | 75.0% | – | 1 | – | 0 | 0 | – | – | 0 | 0 |
| DFB Pokal | 1 | 87 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 44 | 4.10 | 6 | 2 | 33.3% | 33.3% | 19 | 73.0% | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0.0% | – | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | – | 1 | – |
| Super Cup | 1 | 81 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | 7.20 | 4 | 1 | 25.0% | 0.0% | 36 | 86.0% | 2 | 4 | 3 | 75.0% | – | – | 0 | – | 10 | 9 | 90.0% | – | 2 | – | 0 | 0 | – | – | 0 | 0 |
| All competitions | 17 | 1423 | 16 | 1 | 12 | 8 | 11 | 23 | 119 | 7.46 | 65 | 26 | 40.0% | 18.5% | 399 | 80.2% | 34 | 26 | 13 | 50.0% | 8 | 3 | 11 | 10 | 104 | 56 | 53.8% | – | 16 | 5 | 0 | 0 | – | – | 4 | 0 |
Alan Shearer’s record will entice Kane
Kane is just 47 goals short of Alan Shearer’s all-time Premier League goalscoring record of 260 goals. While the former Tottenham Hotspur striker has downplayed any desire to claim that feat, it is hard to imagine that a potent goalscorer like him will not be dreaming of it.
This is another situation that United must use to their benefit. While an immediate move may not be possible due to his contract situation, the Red Devils must be ready to act if the opportunity presents itself.
Kane will not be short of suitors in the Premier League, but Tottenham Hotspur are likely to be United’s only real competitor. A move to Arsenal is out of the question due to the north London rivalry, and the Englishman is unlikely to join another London club, Chelsea.
Liverpool just spent a small fortune on Alexander Isak, while Manchester City already have Erling Haaland and are battling 115 charges. While a fairytale return to Tottenham Hotspur could be on the cards, the Red Devils are likely to be a more enticing destination, even with their recent struggles.
Kane now better suited for Old Trafford
There is an argument that United missed a trick by not going all-out for Kane in the summer of 2023. He would have cost an exorbitant transfer fee, yes, but he could have sorted out the No. 9 role for years.
Although that has not materialised, a move for the Englishman next summer or even in 2028 could still be a masterstroke. Kane has aged like fine wine with Bayern Munich, scoring 156 goals and registering 43 assists in 162 appearances.
He has gained invaluable trophy-winning experience and is arguably a wiser striker now than he was with Tottenham Hotspur. The Red Devils, as such, must prepare the groundwork for a possible move in 2027.
It will neither be easy nor cheap, but can INEOS sign a better striker than Kane at the moment? No. Can they sign a world-class No. 9 similar to Kane for less than £100 million? No. The answer is staring United in the face; they simply have to be brave enough and hand Pochettino the one player who can put them on the road to glory.
Featured image Alexander Hassenstein via Getty Images
