MANCHESTER United need a new number nine and Harry Kane is one of the best number nines in the Premier League, and has been for a long time. It is therefore understandable that the Old Trafford club are interested in signing the Tottenham Hotspur striker this summer. Kane’s arrival could make United title challengers.

This, however, doesn’t mean Kane would be the right signing for Erik Ten Hag’s team. In fact, the costly signing of the England captain would see Manchester United once again repeat the mistakes of the past, when the club has prioritised short-term fixes over long-term solutions (see Edinson Cavani, Cristiano Ronaldo and Zlatan Ibrahimovic among others). Kane is an excellent centre forward, but he’s not the centre forward United need right now.

Kane will turn 30 this July, yet Spurs would still almost certainly demand a fee of over £100m for their best player. This would make Kane Manchester United’s record signing and the most expensive player in the history of the Premier League, surpassing the record set by Manchester City’s signing of Jack Grealish in 2021.

As a long-term investment, this wouldn’t represent good value for money. Ten Hag’s system requires a mobile centre forward who can press from the front and there’s no guarantee Kane would be able to perform this role as he gets older. His pressing statistics are already lower than that of Victor Osimhen or Goncalo Ramos, both of whom have also been linked to Manchester United.

It’s possible that Kane’s all-round game will allow him to perform at the elite level well into his 30s, but this could see him drop deeper into midfield where his passing would be most valuable. United, however, need a centre forward to lead the line both in and out of possession. They need Kane not just for next season, but for the seasons to come.

Some have suggested United’s capture of Kane this summer would be similar to how they poached Robin van Persie from Arsenal to win the Premier League title in Sir Alex Ferguson’s final season as manager. There are indeed parallels to how Kane, like van Persie, has achieved so much as an individual in North London without ever winning the silverware to reflect it.

However, van Persie was added to a team that was already one of the strongest in the Premier League at the time. Manchester United had missed out on the title only on goal difference the season before and so the Dutch striker’s goals were enough to push them back to the top of the table.

Ten Hag, however, needs more from his number nine than Ferguson needed from van Persie. What’s more, there was a significant drop in van Persie’s output after his first season at Old Trafford. This wasn’t such an issue for Manchester United given the Dutchman’s reasonable £24m price, but Kane would likely cost at least four times that amount. United would need much more than just one quality season from him.

While Osimhen might not be at Kane’s level in terms of his pure goal-scoring ability, he offers more – the Nigerian is one of the most effective counter-pressers in Serie A football. Osimhen is also only 24 and so Manchester United could secure a long-term option for roughly the same price of Kane, who might need replaced again after only a handful of seasons.

There’s no doubting United have made significant progress under Ten Hag this season, but they are still a player or two short of being at the level of Arsenal. The signing of the right centre forward this summer would move them closer to that standard. Kane, however, might not be the right centre forward.