Man Utd eye former Chelsea man, Bundesliga sensation and World Cup winner as Kane alternatives

Harry Watkinson 03 May 2023 10:39 AM

Manchester United have identified three strikers they could sign if they fail in their pursuit of Harry Kane this summer, according to reports.

The Tottenham record goalscorer is believed to be the Red Devil’s primary transfer target, but Chelsea could rival them for his signature.

Negotiating with Daniel Levy may prove to be a challenge, too, who is currently demanding £100m for Kane. With that in mind, Man Utd already have a contingency plan in place.

It’s no secret that Erik ten Hag is looking to bolster his frontline ahead of next season.

Marcus Rashford has has a tremendous campaign, netting 29 goals across all competitions. However, if Man Utd want to become serial title contenders again, some quality attacking support certainly wouldn’t go amiss.

Now, as per a report from FourFourTwo, Ten Hag has his eye on three Kane alternatives.

The first of which is Eintracht Frankfurt forward Randal Kolo Muani. The France international impressed in the World Cup last year and has been in fine form in the Bundesliga, too.

This season, the attacker has netted 13 goals in 28 league appearances for Frankfurt, along with making 12 assists. This gives him an outstanding average of 0.89 goal contributions per game.

A versatile player, Muani has the ability to play as a central striker or as a winger on either flank. So, he could provide cover in several positions for Ten Hag next term.

However, many top European clubs are interested in signing Muani this summer. Also, Frankfurt have slapped a valuation of €70m (approx. £61.7m) on their star man – so a summer deal could be difficult for Man Utd.

Plans C and D both play in the Serie A. The first of which is Roma centre-forward, Tammy Abraham.

The England international made the switch from Chelsea to Italy in 2021 and has impressed under Jose Mourinho.

So far, in 98 appearances for the Giallorossi, Abraham has scored 36 times. Although, this season, his form has dipped somewhat – netting just eight times in 32 league outings.

A fresh start at Man Utd could be exactly what he needs to get his form back on track. But, Aston Villa are also in the race for the €65m (approx. £57.3m) rated striker, so Unai Emery could scupper Ten Hag’s plans.

As a result, if a bidding war ensues, the Red Devils could instead cast their eye on Lautaro Martinez.

This season, the 25-year-old has netted 17 times in 32 Serie A outings for Inter Milan.

He also helped Argentina to win their first World Cup since 1986 last year, so there is no doubting his quality.

As noted by TEAMtalk, Inter are ‘willing’ to listen to offers for Martinez this summer, and will demand a fee of £70m for his services.

Clearly, Ten Hag has some big decisions to make. It’s fair to say Man Utd will try and bring in Kane, but as mentioned, signing the England star will be far from straightforward.

Muani, Abraham and Martinez are all exciting alternatives, though, so it will be interesting to see how this story develops in the coming months.

Manchester United Lautaro Martinez