Harry Kane has been linked with a return to the Premier League but Manchester United have a reason not to break their new recruitment structure and revisit their interest in the England captain. The Red Devils were previously linked with Kane when he was a Tottenham player.
Now at Bayern Munich, Kane continues to be one of the best strikers in world football. He has scored 76 goals in 82 appearances for the Bavarians since completing a £100million move from Spurs in the summer of 2023. United were said to have missed out on a deal, despite then-boss Erik ten Hag wanting Kane, as Spurs were unwilling to sell their best player and vice-captain to a direct Premier League rival.
The 31-year-old would have been an excellent addition at Old Trafford. Their current goalscoring problems - with Rasmus Hojlund struggling to consistently find the net - would likely be non-existent had United persuaded Spurs to sell Kane to them two years ago. England’s record goalscorer would surely be thriving under Ruben Amorim.
But United must now leave their interest in Kane in the past. Even if Bayern are prepared to do a deal at £50-60m, the Red Devils should not be at the table. The club’s new sporting hierarchy - led by INEOS and minority owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe - have carefully reshaped the recruitment to focus on signing younger players who can be developed and who command much cheaper price tags.
In January, Patrick Dorgu and Ayden Heaven arrived for a combined initial £25m. Ratcliffe has been clear that the expensive mistakes made on high-profile, ready-made superstars are in the past.
That rule should not be broken for a player who will turn 34 when he next has an extended summer break. Kane is expected to play for Bayern at the Club World Cup this summer and will almost certainly be part of the England squad which travels to the 2026 World Cup in 15 months’ time.
That raises the prospect of Kane burning out during the first two years of his United career if they were to sign him this summer. It would present an expensive deal for a player who turns 32 in June, and who has now played at the elite level for 11 years without a major injury - which can soon change for a 30-something player competing every week. That would be a hugely risky signing that United must avoid.