How Man Utd's panic buying and 'anxious' Erik ten Hag ruined Harry Kane transfer
Manchester United's hopes of signing Harry Kane in the summer were non-existent thanks to signings made during Erik ten Hag's first transfer window in charge.
United were tipped to sign Kane, 30, from Tottenham, but the England captain joined Bayern Munich in a £100million deal instead. It's proved to be a brilliant signing for the Germans, as Kane has already scored 25 goals - including 21 in the Bundesliga - this season.
Instead of going for Kane, United signed Rasmus Hojlund from Atalanta in a £72million deal. The Denmark international, 20, was cheaper - both in terms of transfer fee and wages - but was relatively unproven. He scored just nine Serie A goals last season.
United's decision to sign Hojlund hasn't worked out, although it's still early days. He's failed to score in 13 Premier League appearances this season, which could force Ten Hag to re-enter the transfer market in January. Yet United must sell before they can buy.
United's signings were quite measured during Ten Hag's first window in charge until their bid to sign Frenkie de Jong from Barcelona collapsed in August. That forced the Red Devils into urgent action, and they quickly turned to Casemiro of Real Madrid.
According to The Athletic, United were also considering a move for West Ham midfielder Declan Rice and expected him to cost around £120m. They swooped for Casemiro instead because he cost half of that, with a further £10m in add-ons. Rice eventually joined Arsenal earlier this year in a £105m deal.
Although Rice would've been more expensive, he would've been better for United's Financial Fair Play (FFP) budget due to his age. Rice was 23 at the time, while Casemiro was 30. They could've offered Rice a longer contract and spread out the cost. The
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