Joining the glamorous Manchester United team is easy. It would take a bit of madness to join Manchester United now, fresh off the worst season in Premier League history at Old Trafford.
Former Brentford talisman Brian Mbeumo, who signed a £71m deal in the summer, already looks set to do just that, but it would be madness to believe he could be the man to lift the Red Devils out of their ever-deteriorating situation.
This deal may not have had the same appeal that names like Angel Di Maria and Radamel Falcao had when they were in Manchester, but that may be because with the likes of Ruben Amorim bringing in proven Premier League players, this big move actually made sense.
Having scored 20 goals in the top flight under his last manager, Thomas Frank, there was a feeling the Cameroonian was destined for the Champions League, with his former manager intending to take him to Tottenham Hotspur.
To his credit, the 26-year-old has made it clear that United is all he wants and has waited patiently until long negotiations finally resulted in his desired move. Since then, he has scored six goals in his first 12 games for the club.
Mbeumo is currently the benchmark for further reinforcements, with recent reports suggesting further reinforcements to the attacking team may be being considered.
Manchester United’s search for forwards
The extent of his injury is not yet clear, but the potential absence of Benjamin Sesko has brought into sharper focus the Slovenian’s lack of a genuine replacement, with Joshua Zirkzee being Amorim’s only other senior striker.
Sesco, signed for £74 million from RB Leipzig, has made a modest but promising start to English football with just two goals in league and cup competitions, but questions remain as to whether a more experienced marksman is still needed.
This very fact is likely to cause United to reignite their interest in Harry Kane in 2026, according to reports in Spain, with the England captain seen as a “proven solution” to their long-standing centre-forward woes.
According to reports, the likes of Barcelona and Chelsea are also paying close attention to the 32-year-old’s situation at Bayern Munich, with his existing contract set to expire in 2027.
The report claims that Kane wants to remain at the Allianz Arena, but his current contract reportedly includes a €65m (approximately £57m) release clause, which is sure to generate a lot of interest in the new year.
Whether it’s in January or next summer, Kane, who was Erik ten Hag’s main target in 2023, will still remain an important coup if INEOS can pull it off.
Why Manchester United could sign a better player than Mbeumo
2023 remains a frustrating period for United, with Ten Hag’s interest in Kane and Declan Rice ultimately meaning little, with Mason Mount, Rasmus Hjølund and Andre Onana all arriving in their place.
As those at Old Trafford will be aware, Hojlund has had a mixed record since then, scoring just 26 goals in 95 games in all competitions, with four goals on loan at Napoli this season.
Meanwhile, since leaving Spurs for Bayern two years ago, Kane has racked up a whopping 108 goals in just 113 games for the Bundesliga giants, making him the fastest player this century to reach triple-figure goals for a team in one of Europe’s top five leagues.
Mbeumo may have grabbed the headlines with his outstanding 2024/25 campaign for the Bees, but if you’re looking for real quality proven in the Premier League, Kane is the man. His 213 goals in the English top flight are the third-highest of all time.
Widely regarded as the world’s best striker, Kane has scored at least 17 league goals in each season between 2014/15 and 2024/25. As for the new season, he has already scored 13 goals in 10 games in the German First Division. In contrast, Mbeumo has 5 out of 11.
Kane – League record (since 14/15) | ||
|---|---|---|
season | game | the goal |
2024/25 | 31 | 26 |
2023/24 | 32 | 36 |
2022/23 | 38 | 30 |
2021/22 | 37 | 17 |
2020/21 | 35 | twenty three |
2019/20 | 29 | 18 |
2018/19 | 28 | 17 |
2017/18 | 37 | 30 |
2016/17 | 30 | 29 |
2015/16 | 38 | twenty five |
2014/15 | 34 | twenty one |
via Transfermarkt | ||
Far from being your typical superstar, the former Spurs talisman is simply extremely efficient, and few players in the modern era possess such a ruthless and clinical attacking streak in front of goal.
But the beauty of Kane is that he’s not just your average penalty box poacher. His extraordinary bow has so many strings.
England’s record scorer, who has been used in a mostly central midfield role at times under Vincent Kompany this season, including in the win over Borussia Dortmund, has developed into a versatile playmaking No. 9 with a knack for passing at will.
Such traits led Tottenham great David Ginola to liken him to past legends in 2022, saying: “He’s like the new Diego Maradona of today. Long passes, short passes, he has it all.”
The 32-year-old may be entering ‘Last Dance’ territory, but Amorim and United should not look up at the chance to bring Kane back to England. After all, he has Alan Shearer’s record to follow.
