Coach Erik ten Hag was once very excited about the prospect of having Harry Kane, but not everyone at Manchester United shared the same sentiment. The transfer plans for the summer at MU are showing signs of being passive and indecisive.
Ten Hag originally saw Kane as his top target. The MU manager needs a top-class striker like Tottenham's goal scorer to strengthen the attacking line. Currently, MU lacks a quality number 9, with Marcus Rashford being prioritized on the wing, Wout Weghorst returning to Burnley, and Anthony Martial frequently injured.
However, some members of MU's board are not willing to recruit Kane. Their viewpoint is that the price tag for England's top goal scorer is too high. Daniel Levy's asking price of no less than £100 million for a striker who will turn 30 next month and is entering the final year of his contract at Spurs is considered unreasonable. In fact, it is also Levy's way of preventing Kane from joining a competing Premier League club.
Ten Hag is not happy that the Harry Kane target has fallen through. The Dutch coach's plan to acquire a forward has shifted to Plan B, which is Rasmus Hojlund from Atalanta. The 20-year-old player has emerged as a highly promising goal scorer with 10 goals in his debut season in Italy. Hojlund himself recently admitted to feeling proud of being pursued by MU.
However, MU will have to compete with Bayern, PSG, and Newcastle, who are also interested in the Danish striker dubbed the "new Haaland." Meanwhile, Atalanta demands no less than £70 million for the rising Danish goal scorer. MU's ambition to acquire Hojlund is not an easy task, primarily due to MU's uncertain position in the transfer market.
The prolonged process of changing ownership at MU has had a significant impact on their summer transfer plans. Ten Hag is said to have a budget of £120 million to strengthen the squad, which could increase depending on player sales. However, MU lacks initiative and decisiveness in negotiation discussions, given the confusion at the top level, and all plans are at a standstill.
Kim Min-jae's reversal to Bayern is a painful blow for MU. The Manchester team had approached the Napoli defender early on. Ten Hag saw Kim as his top target to strengthen the defense. However, MU did not push forward in the negotiation process and chose to wait until July 1st to activate the €60 million release clause in the Korean player's contract. While MU hesitated, Bayern, who came later, reached the finish line first. The German club quickly reached a personal agreement with Kim in less than a week of negotiations. Failing to secure Kim Min-jae, MU now has to turn to Robin Koch from the relegated Leeds United.
From Harry Kane to Kim Min-jae, MU has shown passivity in the transfer market this season. Ten Hag's squad reinforcement plans remain stagnant, evident in the goalkeeper position. Ten Hag still wants David de Gea to stay, but negotiations for contract extension with the Spanish goalkeeper have not made clear progress. There is a considerable possibility that De Gea will leave MU after his contract expires on June 30th. If that happens, the goalkeeper position will face a severe crisis. MU is scouring the transfer market for goalkeepers, but it is not easy to secure a good contract. The priority target, Andre Onana, a former student of Ten Hag at Ajax, is being priced by Inter at £80 million.
The summer transfer window still has a considerable time for MU to rectify their mistakes, but it will also be very short if they continue to grope in the fog.
