Manchester United were put off from signing Tottenham Hotspur striker Harry Kane due to his £575,000-a-week demands, according to The Times.
The Red Devils recently reached an agreement with Atalanta to sign Rasmus Hojlund. The 20-year-old will join the club for £64 million plus £8m in add-ons.
The Dane’s arrival will end the club’s pursuit of a marquee striker, but The Times report that manager Erik ten Hag was initially keen on landing Kane.
The Dutchman was eager to work with the England international, but United were put off by the staggering £575,000 per week demands from the striker.
On top of this, the Red Devils also deemed the £100m asking price to be excessive.
Man Utd have made the right decision in the end
Kane is obviously a world-class striker. He has been tremendous for Spurs over the years, scoring more than 200 goals in the Premier League alone.
Bringing him to Old Trafford would have been a huge statement from United, but the club are not in a position to spend recklessly amid Financial Fair Play concerns.
In our opinion, the club made the right choice to choose an emerging talent in Hojlund over Kane, who is already 30 and may not be a long-term striker for the club.
Kane has the ability to make an instant impact unlike Hojlund, but his £575,000 per week wage demands alongside the £100m fee would have represented a huge risk.
A five-year deal would have cost United around £250m in wages and transfer fees alone. The decision to sign Hojlund over him could bear fruit for the club in future.
The Dane is still a raw talent but has enormous potential. He has already shown that on the international level with six goals from just four European qualifiers this year.
With the right guidance and patience, he could develop into a potent goalscorer in the coming years, and play a huge role in United returning to their wonderful glory days.
Stats from Transfermarkt.com