Two Manchester United signings may have blocked the club from signing Harry Kane.
Prior to his stunning £82 million switch to Bayern Munich, the England skipper was regularly linked with a mega move to United and seen as a potentially game-changing addition.
With Kane available in the summer and Spurs willing to do business for the right price, many were surprised that United did not bid for him.
The Athletic, via the Daily Mail, claim the Red Devils were reluctant to do so because they didn't want to get "lured into a battle they didn't think they could win" and still felt Kane's preference would have been Bayern.
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Kane has scored 24 times for Bayern, while United's £72 million striker Rasmus Hojlund has yet to find the net in the Premier League.
And in a piece for The Telegraph, James Ducker points out that the funds United splashed out on two additions could have gone towards a Kane offer.
Donny van de Beek cost United £40 million back in 2020 but has been a huge flop since arriving from Ajax.
He never nailed down a starting spot at United whether Ole Gunnar Solskjaer or Erik ten Hag was in charge and only made 23 starts in total.
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The former Everton loanee was close to leaving in the summer but is now finally nearing an exit.
Reports claim that he is set to join Eintracht Frankfurt on loan, with the Bundesliga side having the option to purchase him for £8.5 million.
Similarly, another arrival from Ajax has failed to impress. United paid more than £30 million above their initial valuation for Antony and the 23-year-old has scored just eight times in 62 appearances.
United will be hoping that their transfer mistakes are not repeated once Sir Jim Ratcliffe and INEOS are calling the shots.
Featured Image Credit: GettyTopics: Manchester United, Harry Kane, Tottenham Hotspur, Bayern Munich, Antony, Donny van de Beek