Manchester United are reportedly keen on signing Harry Kane from Tottenham this summer, but club legend Andy Cole does not think it would be the right thing to do. The England captain has had another excellent season personally, scoring 30 goals in all competitions for Spurs, but it has been a seriously disappointing campaign for the club. The prolific forward is heading into the final year of his Tottenham contract and they look no closer to fulfilling his ambitions of lifting trophies, without a permanent manager and sitting eighth in the Premier League after defeat to Brentford on Saturday.
The 29-year-old may look to push for a move this summer in a bid to get some silverware on his CV, with Manchester United touted as one of only a small handful of possible destinations. Most Red Devils fans would welcome a player who has scored over 200 Premier League goals but Cole does not think it is a route his former club should go down, saying Kane is too old for the money Spurs will want for him. Instead, he believes United should be looking to the future and buying a striker that will represent them for many years to come.
‘Manchester United can’t go with a short-term solution again,’ Cole told William Hill. ‘They can’t go and spend £80 million or £100 million on Harry Kane. In two years’ time they’ll turn round and say to themselves, “he’s 32, we need to get ourselves another striker”. They can’t afford to find themselves in that position again. When you look at the recognised strikers that Manchester United have had, you look at the likes of Robin van Persie, but the crazy thing is that he only stayed for two years, and ever since then it has just been one after another for two years. A football club like Manchester United cannot just keep having different strikers for two years at a time, it’s ridiculous. They know now that they have to sign someone who is going to give them five years.’
Alan Shearer holds the record for most Premier League goals with 260, with Kane on 211 and the Newcastle legend expects the England captain to stay where he is. ‘I think because of the love he has for Tottenham and that he’s been there for tough times, I just see him seeing his career out there,’ Shearer told the BBC’s Football Focus. ‘I get the accusation that he hasn’t won a trophy but those goals and those records he has set are his trophies. That’s why I see him staying at Tottenham.’