Regardless of what happens between now and the end of the season, there is already no doubt that Manchester United will have to make the addition of a striker their leading priority this summer.
United have struggled for goals throughout the campaign, meaning eyebrows were raised when the hierarchy made the decision not to strengthen Ruben Amorim's attacking options in the January transfer window. Instead, United made the decision to prioritise spending in the summer window.
United are already being linked with a wealth of names that could come in and become the new face of their attack. Whoever they land, they will have to ensure he is an upgrade on both Rasmus Hojlund and Joshua Zirkzee.
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Signed for a combined total of £108.5million in back-to-back summer windows, they have scored just 12 goals between them this season. United desperately need to source an established goalscorer who will come in and hit the ground running.
The addition of a centre-forward was one of United's leading objectives in the 2023 summer transfer window and England captain Harry Kane was the most attractive option. But despite former United manager Erik ten Hag's fondness of the former Tottenham Hotspur man, he moved to Bayern Munich.
"In the summer of 2023, Harry Kane was our No.1 target," former United first-team coach Benni McCarthy told Ladbrokes at the launch of Gaffer of all Accas. "Kane was the prime target, but obviously the price tag was an issue.
"Because he would have been leaving Spurs for United, a few extra million pounds were added on to the price tag, which, you know, for a 30-year-old wasn't seen to be wise.
"But for £100million, if you look at it now, you'd say that it would have been well worth it because he's gone to Bayern and he's still producing, he's still scoring. So you think we should have just bitten the bullet and got Kane and then also tried to invest in Hojlund. That would have been the best thing for Rasmus if he had had someone like Kane involved.
"So yes, Kane was Erik's No.1 target. Erik really wanted him."
Kane would have offered United the closest thing to a guarantee of goals. He was the best striker in the Premier League at the time and has since established himself as the best striker in the Bundesliga, notching 73 goals in 75 games for Bayern since moving to Germany.
Ahead of the conclusion of the 2022/23 season, former United captain Roy Keane addressed United's upcoming search for a striker, identifying Kane as the most attractive option to give his former team what they needed most.
"They're going to be linked with lots of players but the one that would excite you is Kane," Keane told Sky Sports in May 2023. "In terms of the excitement and the goalscoring, you'd go all out for Kane."
Past dealings between Spurs and United in the transfer market meant a deal to take Kane from north London to Manchester would have likely been difficult. However, the inflated price tag Spurs would have almost certainly demanded would have been worth it - and it would have saved United money in the long-term.
After spending almost £110m on Hojlund and Zirkzee, United are once again in a position where they are going to have to spend big to sign an established goal-getter this summer. They took huge gambles on the aforementioned duo and they have failed to pay off.
