Former Manchester United midfielder Kieran Richardson admits he’s a bit baffled as to why his old club didn’t pay big money for the transfer of Harry Kane while he was still at Tottenham.
Kane ended up moving from Spurs to Bayern Munich this summer, and he’s been in superb form since then, showing once again that he really is up there with the very finest players in world football.
It seems obvious that the Red Devils needed a top signing up front this summer, but instead of going for Kane they invested in the future with Danish youngster Rasmus Hojlund.
Richardson is surprised United weren’t prepared to spend more on Kane when they’ve splashed the cash on some other less impressive players in recent times, but he also questioned if Old Trafford is simply not a happy place to be right now, which might have put Kane off joining in the first place.
“I don’t know how on earth Manchester United didn’t go and get that great player that is Harry Kane,” Richardson exclusively told Ladbrokes Fanzone.
“It bemuses me… you know, you see how much some players have cost United in recent windows, Casemiros and Antonys… Harry Kane is a proven Premier League goalscorer. They needed him, and they didn’t get him – I don’t know the reason why that move didn’t happen, but they definitely dropped a bomb with that one.
“He was the ideal fit, and Man City were in for him 12 months prior to Erling Haaland turning up, which shows you the level that he’s at. He’s the best English striker out there… they definitely should have got him, and it’s a big blow that they didn’t.
“The only thing I can think of is that maybe he didn’t want to go there. Maybe he didn’t want to enter that whole toxic environment. It’s a hard place to go, that side of Manchester, right now.
“They just need to concentrate on making it a good vibe around the whole place. When you go there now, you just don’t get that energy anymore. Fans are on edge, players are on edge, the manager is constantly under pressure… it’s just a really bad time.”