Manchester United Transfer News Roundup: Red Devils face competition for Harry Kane; club retain Frenkie de Jong interest, and more - June 28, 2023
Manchester United are yet to sign a player this summer. Manager Erik ten Hag has been impressive since taking charge at Old Trafford last year and is desperate for squad reinforcements.
Meanwhile, the Red Devils face competition from Bayern Munich in the race to sign Tottenham Hotspur striker Harry Kane. Elsewhere, the Old Trafford outfit have retained their interest in Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong.
On that note, here's a look at the key Manchester United transfer stories as on June 28, 2023:
Manchester United face competition for Harry Kane
Manchester United face competition from Bayern Munich in the race to sign Harry Kane, according to journalist Ben Jacobs.
Ten Hag wants a new No. 9 this summer, and the Englishman is his numero uno target. However, prising him away from Tottenham Hotspur is proving to be a complicated affair.
In his column for Caught Offside, Jacobs said that Spurs have already rejected a €70 million offer from the Bavarians for Kane.
"Tottenham have rejected a formal offer from Bayern Munich for Harry Kane. The German champions tabled a bid of £60m (€70m) plus add-ons offer, and it was quickly turned away by Daniel Levy, who is in no mood to sell, and especially not at that price,” wrote Jacobs.
He continued:
“As previously revealed, Levy is hoping to keep Kane. Only offers of £100m or more are expected to change that. Manchester United have already explored a deal for Kane and did so early to understand whether it was possible. They want to avoid a long-running summer saga and came away from discussions with low optimism (that) a deal is possible."
Jacobs added that Bayern Munich have an advantage in the race, as they're not a direct rival for Tottenham.
"Perhaps the advantage Bayern have, who have been long-linked with Kane, is that they are not a Premier League rival to Spurs. But it’s still thought they would need to offer a guaranteed fee of £80-85m plus add-ons to seriously progress talks," wrote Jacobs.
He added:
“Tottenham’s almost default position remains Kane is not for sale, and that’s especially true for Premier League suitors. It remains to be seen whether Bayern can get Levy to engage further, or knock down the price, but they will certainly play on the fact that if Kane is to leave (and really insist on doing so, which would be a key factor), Levy would much prefer it isn’t to a domestic rival.”
The Red Devils are eyeing Atalanta striker Rasmus Hojlund as a possible alternative to Kane.
Red Devils retain Frenkie de Jong interest
Manchester United have retained their interest in Frenkie de Jong, according to 90 Min.
The Dutch midfielder was a priority target for Ten Hag last summer, and the Red Devils even reached an agreement with Barcelona to sign him. However, the move collapsed due to the player's wage issues with the Blaugrana.
Ten Hag wants two midfielders this year and is prepared to return to the table for De Jong. A deal remains possible due to Barcelona's poor financial conditions. However, Manchester United face competition from Bayern Munich for the player's services. The Bavarians have already enquired about the player's availability this summer.
Bayern want to sign a new midfielder this year, and manager Thomas Tuchel is a long-term admirer of De Jong. The Bundesliga giants were eyeing West Ham United's Declan Rice but are now willing to settle on the Dutchman.
Manchester United retain Kim Min-jae interest
Manchester United remain interested in Kim Min-jae, according to transfer insider Dean Jones.
The Red Devils are looking to add more steel to their backline this summer and the Napoli defender has emerged as a target. The player's £42 million release clause will reportedly be active for a fortnight at the start of July.
Speaking to Give Me Sport, Jones backed Manchester United to hold talks for Kim next week.
"They haven't walked away from it. I would expect a round of talks in the next week to get ahead of themselves for this window of opportunity that exists to sign Kim at a decent price," said Jones.
Bayern Munich also have their eyes on the South Korean and are reportedly the favourites for his signature.