Manchester United refrained from pursuing Harry Kane in the summer due to their disinclination to negotiate with the challenging Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy.
Despite the need for a new striker following Cristiano Ronaldo’s departure midway through the 2022/23 season, they chose to explore alternative options.
The Athletic reports that Erik ten Hag recommended signing the England captain, but Manchester United’s leaders, having had prior difficult dealings with Levy, informed the Dutchman that they would not engage in negotiations because of previous drama’s.
They believed that entering into talks with Spurs would likely result in a protracted and potentially costly saga, with a high probability of the Red Devils either overspending for Kane or failing to secure his signature, given Tottenham’s reluctance to sell to a domestic rival.
Bayern Munich ultimately secured Kane for £86 million, potentially rising to £100 million, despite the striker being 30-years-old and having just one year left on his contract. Negotiations with Levy were lengthy, and there were concerns about the deal collapsing.
Even after the two teams had agreed to a deal, the transfer was briefly in jeopardy when Levy reportedly took issue with a minor aspect of the agreement, instructing Kane not to travel to Munich for his medical.
In the end, Man United opted to sign Rasmus Hojlund from Atalanta at roughly half the price they were quoted for Kane. However, the Denmark international has had a challenging start at Old Trafford, failing to score in eight Premier League appearances, although he has fared better in the Champions League, even despite his team’s poor form in the competition, with five goals in four games.