Manchester United linked with move for Harry Kane

Harry Kane looks like he shouldn’t be as good as he is, but he is the real deal. He’s also young, English, and plays for a selling club. As such, the natural order of things demands that he be linked with Manchester United. Despite the fact that United just invested a load of money into a lead striker of similar age and ability just a couple of months ago, and despite the fact that no one in Europe plays with two target men anymore (Mourinho certainly never has), and despite the fact that Spurs fans would burn White Ha- err, Wembley to the ground if Kane was sold to another club in England, the clicks aren’t going to generate themselves. Don’t click that, by the way.

The Sun says that Kane would fetch a transfer fee in the £170m range, which is almost surely a figure plucked from thin air. Kane will likely leave Spurs eventually unless the London club start paying their top players real money, but he is unlikely to leave for United unless Romelu Lukaku breaks both legs or joins the priesthood.

In a more likely Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United rumored transaction, Danny Rose may get to fulfill his wish of making a move back north if United come knocking in January. The Sun (again) say that Rose is now surplus to requirements because he’s been left off of Spurs’ official calendar. Gasp. Mauricio Pochettino has already laughed that one off, but that doesn’t mean that Rose won’t soon be on the move anyway.

We’re not quite sure if Rose is any good, even moreso now that he’s recovering from a significant injury, but this transfer makes a great deal more sense than the Kane one. United have used five different players at left-back under Mourinho, and the only of them that is an actual specialist left-back cannot seem to get himself into acceptable condition.

Juan Mata is set to have a one-year contract extension triggered any day now. It’s slightly concerning that a new contract hasn’t yet been announced - or possibly even offered - but at least the club option of a further year prevents any hysteria over an important player in his prime years leaving the club for free in the summer. We’re not bloody Arsenal.