Manchester United’s 5-man striker shortlist as Erik ten Hag has pulled out of the Harry Kane transfer

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Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag is on the hunt for a new striker…but Tottenham star Harry Kane is not ready to complete his summer move to Old Trafford

Manchester United have withdrawn from the race to sign Harry Kane (Getty Images)

Manchester United are not expected to sign Harry Kane this summer due to the threat of long and tedious transfer negotiations.

Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy is a tough negotiator and will not sell Kane, who turns 30 next month, on the cheap. United want to complete signings early in the window after spending most of last summer trying to sign Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong.

United need a new striker after allowing Cristiano Ronaldo to leave Old Trafford in November. Erik ten Hag signed for Wout Weghorst on loan in January, but the Netherlands international has now returned to parent club Burnley and will not rejoin United.

Levy’s stance on Kane has forced Ten Hag to compile a new transfer shortlist, with five players – including a world star – on their radar. Here, Mirror Football takes a look at each of these players and assesses United’s chances of luring them to Old Trafford.

Rasmus Hoglund Rasmus Hoglund could join Manchester United (Getty Images)

Demark, the 20-year-old international, now looks like Ronaldo’s long-term successor at Manchester. Hoglund, who scored 16 goals for the club in all competitions last season, recently described United as a “huge club” and expressed interest in joining him.

Hojlund still has four years remaining on his Atalanta contract, but he is the cheapest option on Ten Hag’s shortlist and is expected to cost between £40m and £60m. However, putting him in the first-choice striker position at United is too risky, as he falls into the unproven category.

Randall Kolo-Mane Randall Kolo-Moane was impressed in Germany (Getty Images)

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The 24-year-old Frenchman was famous for missing a golden opportunity in the closing seconds of last year’s World Cup final – forcing Emiliano Martinez to one of the most iconic saves in history – but he has just completed an impressive campaign with Eintracht Frankfurt.

Kolo Mwani scored 15 goals and provided 14 assists in the Bundesliga and admitted it would be his “dream” to play for one of the biggest clubs in Europe. However, the prolific star, who still has four years left on his contract, will cost significantly more than Hojlund.

Frankfurt chairman Alex Holmann said: “When I look at the international market, I imagine a different figure of €90m (£78m) – more than this. He has a long-term deal. The ideal scenario for me would be to stay with Eintracht.”

Goncalo Ramos Goncalo Ramos has made a name for himself in Qatar (Getty Images)

Another expensive option is Ramos, who made headlines in December after scoring a hat-trick for Portugal against Switzerland at the World Cup. The 21-year-old snatched Ronaldo’s place at international level in Qatar – could he do the same at Old Trafford?

It would take a bid of around £100m to convince Benfica to sell Ramos, which could prove very expensive. That’s a lot of money for a player who’s scored 19 league goals at Benfica this season and just gone – seven fewer than Darwin Nunez the year before.

Victor Osimhen led Napoli to the Italian league title (Getty Images)

The Nigerian international, 24, is one of the hottest strikers in Europe at the moment after scoring 26 league goals to lead Napoli to their first Serie A title in 33 years. He has also found the net five times in the Champions League, proving his European pedigree.

However, Napoli do not want to sell Osimhen, who still has two years left on his contract. The Italian champions will reportedly demand €150m (£128m) for their prized assets, which United are unlikely to raise.

Kylian Mbappe could leave Paris Saint-Germain (FRANCK FIFE / AFP via Getty Images)

The most outrageous name on the list, United are suddenly linked with Mbappe after the World Cup winner, 24, refused to extend his contract until June 2025. PSG will seek to sell the player if a deal is not agreed before July. 31.

United need the Qatar-backed Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani takeover – and the seemingly unlimited wealth it would bring – to be finalized before the end of the transfer window to have any chance of signing Mbappe. For now, that seems unlikely.

Sheikh Jassim has not yet been named as United’s favorite bidder, and Sir Jim Ratcliffe and other contenders are still in the picture. Even if the Qatari banker gets approval, he will need to complete the Premier League managers and owners test before a deal can be completed.

PSG will demand at least £150m for its prized assets if it decides to sell. Mbappe, who is likely to join Real Madrid, is not a realistic option for United at the moment, as their recruitment squad will try to achieve one of four other targets early on.

However, Mbappe could find himself on United’s radar if possession is completed and Ten Hag suddenly has a war chest to spend. Stranger things have happened in the English Premier League.

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