Fabrizio Romano has suggested that Manchester United may have been able to sign Harry Kane this summer - had it not been for the Glazers.
The Red Devils were linked with a long line of high profile players including Kane, but ultimately lacked the financial resources to reach a deal with Tottenham Hotspur.
The 30-year-old striker ended up joining Bayern Munich instead, in a deal which could reach £100 million.
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As a result, Erik ten Hag turned his attention to Rasmus Hojlund, who joined the Old Trafford club from Atalanta for a reported £72 million.
United also signed Mason Mount, Andre Onana, Jonny Evans and Altay Bayindir, with Sergio Reguilon and Sofyan Amrabat arriving on loan. However, their transfer window could have looked very different.
That's according to transfer expert Romano, who has revealed United's original plans to complete a takeover before the summer transfer window even opened - after the club's current owners, the Glazers, put United up for sale in November 2022.
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But the infamous family have since dug their heels in and failed to reach an agreement with either Sir Jim Ratcliffe or Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani, who have emerged as the two frontrunners to succeed the Glazers at Old Trafford - and in turn 'blocked' United's chances of signing Kane.
Explaining the situation, Romano told Caughtoffside: “My feeling is that all parties involved don’t want to comment.
"The plan was to complete the takeover before the summer transfer window, but we’re still at the same point. All parties I think are nervous and so it makes sense that everyone is trying tot keep everything as quiet as possible.
“Still, my sources say things seem to be happening behind the scenes, but parties prefer to keep it secret.
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“With the takeover they maybe would’ve had the chance to go for superstar players, there were links with players like Harry Kane and Victor Osimhen, but it wasn’t possible with their financial situation.
"This could’ve been an issue, links for that kind of player couldn’t materialise, they had to go with a different strategy. I don’t have any news on players rejecting United because of the takeover, it’s something normal in football.
“Also United are very happy with the transfer window they had. They feel Rasmus Hojlund has great potential, and a very serious and professional guy. He’s a big talent and they believe he’s the perfect player for Erik ten Hag’s ideas.”
It should be mentioned that United are already on UEFA's radar amid concerns around Financial Fair Play, which could have had an impact on their spending, but fans may still feel frustration towards the Glazers.
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Topics: Manchester United, Harry Kane, Erik Ten Hag, Victor Osimhen, Transfers, Football, Premier League, Fabrizio Romano