Star coach was determined to sign Bayern Munich goalscorer Harry Kane: “I heard he was very positive about it”
Former Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag has revealed that he was determined to bring current Bayern Munich star Harry Kane to the Red Devils in 2023.
Speaking to The Athletic, the Dutchman gave a harsh assessment of former United forward Cristiano Ronaldo and revealed that the English record champions had failed in a bid to sign Kane.
Ten Hag was preparing for his second season in Manchester and wanted to give the team a new structure. He saw Kane as a potential key figure. He said he told United's club executives: "I said to them: I only want one player – and you know who."
He said he had pushed hard to bring Kane to Old Trafford, but hinted at his frustration with the club executives at the time: "I fought for it. I heard he was very positive about it, but I never spoke to him about it. I don’t know how the decision-making process worked with John (Murtough, then director of development, editor’s note), Richard (Arnold, then CEO, editor’s note) and the Glazers (the owning family, editor’s note)."
For ten Hag, missing out on Kane helped explain why United failed to make more progress on the pitch under him. He saw Kane, United captain Bruno Fernandes and Arsenal's ball-winning midfielder Declan Rice as leaders who could take responsibility and give a team stability.
Despite winning the FA Cup with United in 2023/24, ten Hag endured a mixed Premier League campaign. The following season also began badly, and he had to leave in autumn 2024. He is now sporting director at Twente Enschede.
How much did Harry Kane cost when he moved to Bayern Munich?
The England captain, then at his long-time club Tottenham Hotspur, was open to a move that summer. He joined Bayern Munich in August 2023.
Bayern paid the north London club a €95 million transfer fee. United could probably have afforded that sum too, but the move has long since paid off for Bayern. Kane, now 33, has scored prolifically since arriving in Munich and, according to consistent media reports, is close to extending his contract, which expires in 2027.
Instead, United signed the then 20-year-old Rasmus Höjlund from Atalanta Bergamo for just under €80 million to play up front in 2023. The Dane flopped and now plays for Napoli, back in Serie A. United's two other expensive signings from that transfer window, Mason Mount (€68 million) and Andre Onana (€50 million), also failed to meet expectations.
