When Sir Alex Ferguson was in charge of Manchester United, the club routinely signed the best Premier League players and poached Roy Keane, Andrew Cole, Dwight Yorke, Rio Ferdinand, Wayne Rooney and Dimitar Berbatov from future rivals over the years.
These players helped the club stay at the top of the Premier League and took them to the highest levels in Europe. But in the years since Fergie retired, these types of signings have been harder to achieve. Not only has United fallen away from its elite level, pre-loaded TV revenues have made other sides richer and better able to persuade their players to stay.
Sir Alex Ferguson often poached the best Premier League players from other clubs Alex Livesey / Getty Images
In 2021, Tottenham striker Harry Kane is the embodiment of an old school Fergie signing. He is one of the best players in the Premier League but his club has so far failed to deliver the success he longs for and he is increasingly rumored to be frustrated with Spurs.
Kane clearly has the right mentality and desire to win, and that is what will drive all the efforts he makes to leave his boys’ club in the coming months.
United are still on their way back to the top, but they are much closer to the challenge of the Premier League title than Tottenham currently are and Kane does not have time to waste. He will be 28 before the next season starts and if he wants to win trophies when it is at its peak, time is left.
The effect that a goal scorer like Kane can have on a development team like United would be huge and fairly immediate. Anthony Martial has sometimes flirted with the role, but he has had a bad season 2020/21 and they have been missing a proper “number nine” since Romelu Lukaku left, while no United striker has scored 30 goals in a given season since Robin van Persie 2012 / 13.
Man Utd lacks a productive goal threat in front of Pool / Getty Images
Not only would Kane give his own quality, his experience and presence as a senior voice would be another big boost. Think of how Bruno Fernandes has taken the lead in a group that was previously lacking in it, in addition to his own quality in the field. Kane would be similar.
But as perfect for United as Kane can be, the problem is for them and indeed all the clubs interested in the England captain, including Real Madrid and Manchester City, Tottenham.
The fact that Kane signed a long-term contract in 2018 that still has three more years to run puts Spurs in a strong position to reject all suitors. It has been rumored that they will lose refusing to sell to another English club and will demand a banned £ 175 million from all foreign clubs.
Getting Tottenham to sell Harry Kane could be an impossible task Robbie Jay Barratt – AMA / Getty Images
The only way Kane could leave Spurs for United or any other Premier League club would actually be to push from within – and push hard. How far he would be willing to take it to secure a move, risk his relationship with the club and the fans, only he can decide.
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