Manchester United have other options aside from Harry Kane to give Erik ten Hag what he wants

How much is too much to spend on a player who might just be the missing piece of the jigsaw? That is the question Manchester United might have to weigh up when it comes to their interest in Harry Kane this summer.

Erik ten Hag is desperate to sign the striker and there’s no doubt he would be a significant upgrade to this side. How many extra points would his goals have added this season? Given his level of consistency in the Premier League and United’s absence of goals from a striker, he is surely going to be worth at least 10 points.

But the equation is not as simple as that. Kane might improve United at centre forward, but if they overspend on the England international there would remain issues elsewhere in the squad. Then there is the question of longevity. He turns 30 in July and has a history of ankle injuries. Nobody can say for certain how long he will remain a truly elite striker, even if there is clearly no drop-off in quality yet.

So the idea that United could end any transfer saga around Kane by ringing up Daniel Levy and sticking £100million on the table just doesn’t stack up. That’s before we get to the optics of a club that are often quoted a ‘United premium’ when they enquire about players overpaying for a 30-year-old with a year left on his contract.

United looked into signing a young striker last season and enquired about one player for whom another club had bid £15million. United were told the price was £28million and that ‘you’re Manchester United, you’ve got loads of money’. That sort of reputation is easy to obtain and harder to shift.