Harry Kane has scored 24 Premier League goals this season. Credit: Getty Images/Paul Terry
Erik Ten Hag raised the prospect of Manchester United betting on Harry Kane this summer, insisting his side needed a number 9 striker to build on their progress this season .
The United manager wants to shore up a front line that has relied on goals from Marcus Rashford, with a central midfielder another priority in the next transfer window. Rashford's form led United back to the Champions League despite Cristiano Ronaldo being released mid-season and Anthony Martial struggling with his fitness.
United took Besiktas on loan Dutch striker Wut Weghorst to provide them with cover. January window — he's scored twice in 25 games — but Ten Hag has made it clear he's looking for a striker to build his team around.
«Everyone knows, it's no secret that we were short of nines throughout the season,» Ten Hag said. “First we had Ronaldo relegated, then Anthony Martial was often unavailable, Jadon Sancho was often unavailable, then you have a shortage of first line players.
“With fewer players we have to cover a lot of games, so we definitely we need frontline players who strengthen the squad.”
United fans chanted Kane's name during last week's 2-2 draw at Tottenham Hotspur, defiantly chanting «see you in June». However, Spurs chairman Daniel Levy had previously resisted selling Kane.
According to Telegraph Sport, Kane is considering cutting the final year of his contract as an option after this summer.
His contract expires in 2024. That means United could put pressure on Levy this summer, knowing Spurs could lose him for free in a few years.
Nigerian striker Victor Osimhen is another option. Osimhen is on the verge of winning Serie A with Napoli and is on the radar of every major European club after scoring a goal.
However, his Italian club has a reputation for being a reliable player in the transfer market when its players are needed. Osimhen does not have a fixed issue price, meaning that its market value is well above the Premier League's record fee.
United have been eyeing other strikers, including Benjamin Szeszko, who agreed to switch clubs in the Red Bull group this summer and signed for Salzburg's Leipzig. Juventus' Dusan Vlahovic is admired by United and other Premier League clubs.
Signing No. 9 would have given Rashford more opportunities, who recently played at center but has been in terrible shape this season, wedging in from the left.
“You can approach this from many angles. Typical No. 9, [but] Rashford can also play very well as No. 9, and Anthony Martial is a great No. 9,” said Ten Hag. «We have players who can play this role, but we definitely need strikers who really make an impact, quality players who improve the attack.»
Rashford has scored 29 goals this season and has worked his way up to number 9 on the training grounds at United's headquarters in Carrington.
We've been working on it. I think he can play both [forward and left wing], it depends on the opponent what role is best for him, it is also important for him to position himself to gather the players around him and especially to distract the players from behind. in a formation where he can make combinations and make moves,” Ten Hag said.
“I think he's doing a great job and I'm happy and satisfied with his role. But also when he plays on the left, he has a big impact on our games.
United will play Aston Villa on Sunday as they look to contain Unai Emery's challenge for a top four spot. . Villa beat them earlier this season, in the early days of Emery's reign.
“We met him [Emery] in the first game and he surprised us. We had a low energy level so we should avoid it, but he surprised us with his system. Three days later we learned a lot from that game, bounced back and got a good win over them (in the FA Cup),” said Ten Hag.
«It's going to be a tough game on Sunday, we're fully aware of that, this team has made good progress, but it's up to us if we're ready to play, we have eight levels of energy. , with the right focus, at Old Trafford with the fans behind, then we know we have a good chance of winning this game because we know we are very strong.»
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