Exclusive - Harry Kane's representatives are exploring options for a potential transfer away from Tottenham Hotspur, as the England captain considers his club future.
It emerged last week that Kane was open to leaving the north London club at the end of the season - the chief reason being his desire to compete for trophies at domestic and continental level.
Kane's concerns as to whether he could achieve those goals in a Spurs team in need of a rebuild under Jose Mourinho are growing, and the club have found it difficult to succeed in their striker's absence in the second half of the season.
Spurs were knocked out of the Champions League by RB Leipzig on Tuesday night and sit eighth in the Premier League, seven points from fourth place, with a season-defining fixture against Manchester United to come on Sunday.
Defeat would likely put any hopes of returning to Europe's premier club competition to rest for another year at least.
Man Utd's Interest in Harry Kane
United were among the first linked with a move for Kane, 26, since the recent developments, and have retained interest in him for years. A source has told 90min that they would consider the possibility of moving for Kane this summer were he to come on the market, though United have already set in stone their plans to strengthen other positions.
A rethink would be needed.
As reported as far back as September, United have made Borussia Dortmund forward Jadon Sancho their number one priority, and are confident they will be able to lure Kane's England teammate back to Manchester. Sancho was previously a part of Manchester City's academy.
Signing Sancho would require a significant outlay, with United prepared to spend as much as £120m on the player in order to beat rival clubs to his signing. The north-west outfit are confident they could seal the deal before Euro 2020 is scheduled to begin.
Sancho is not United's only target, either, with Aston Villa's Jack Grealish attracting interest and Birmingham City's Jude Bellingham currently experiencing the club's charm offensive after visiting Carrington this week. United are keen to tie deals up for both, while a central defender, holding midfielder and a new striker are among their other priorities.
It's unlikely they'll strengthen in all of those positions this summer - a move for a Declan Rice has been mooted, though Nemanja Matic's new contract could mean such plans are shelved for now - but the potential spend on solidified targets and limited funds will mean something has to give.
Tottenham's valuation of Kane sits at around £150m.
But Manchester City Are Interested in Kane Too
United's local rivals City, who were beaten 2-0 in Sunday's Manchester derby, could also come to the table if Kane becomes available.
Tottenham's asking price could cause a problem - especially to a team with all eyes on them following a recent two-year ban from European competition for Financial Fair Play breaches - while there are concerns at City that negotiating with Daniel Levy will be difficult.
Nonetheless, it has been confirmed to 90min that interest has been established from City's end.
It was reported in February that the Premier League champions were considering a move for Erling Haaland - who has burst on to the European stage this season with his exploits for RB Salzburg and Dortmund - over the next couple of years, as they search for the long-term replacement for Sergio Aguero. Kane would be an alternative - albeit older and more expensive.
Aguero is the highest-scoring foreign player in Premier League history, and City are eager to reward his years of service by granting him complete freedom over his future - meaning he will choose to leave when the time is right for him. Another long-serving player, David Silva, is due to leave at the end of this season, and Aguero is unlikely to be too far behind.
The Argentine's departure would leave a huge void, and one City will need to replace with quality. While it does only remain as interest in Kane at this stage, he would be one of the considerations to City to potentially fill Aguero's boots.
And From Elsewhere?
A report from Tuttosport on Wednesday suggests Italian champions Juventus are looking to lure Kane to Turin to see the player compete with Cristiano Ronaldo and Paulo Dybala, though they are expected to encounter difficulties putting a deal together for a player with such a high asking price and time left on his contract.
Juventus desperately attempted to offload Dybala to Tottenham last summer to cut costs, so any move to Italy appears unlikely.
Real Madrid and Barcelona have been among Kane's chief suitors for a number of years, but each are in different places at present. Real Madrid's chief target remains Paris Saint-Germain's Kylian Mbappe, while the Catalan giants have identified Inter's Lautaro Martinez as their potential successor to Luis Suarez. Timo Werner's name has been mentioned, too.
Clubs such as Paris Saint-Germain and Liverpool would likely be the only others with the financial might to pull off a deal, though doubts remain over Kane's desire to play in the French league and over Liverpool's desire to pull off extravagant, high-cost signings.
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Source :
90min
