Manchester United have long prided themselves in being a safe haven for English players, often boasting the core of the national side amongst their ranks, but they’ve struggled to follow that line in the post-Ferguson era and have handed the mantle over to Tottenham Hotspur.

The core of Gareth Southgate’s youthful England squad is made up of young starlets from North London, many of whom have been linked with a move to Manchester United, but negotiating a deal with Spurs owner Daniel Levy is notoriously difficult.

There’s also the fact that luring a player to Old Trafford is more difficult than it used to be, with Spurs on the rise whilst Manchester United continue to struggle to find their feet in the post-Ferguson era, and Jose Mourinho is a different sort of manager to what United are used to.

Mourinho inherited a talented squad at Old Trafford, though a lot of work needed to be done, but crucially young England aces like Luke Shaw and Marcus Rashford have struggled to find regular opportunities in the Red Devils’ set-up.

The future of Shaw in particular has been cast into doubt, a huge change from the World Cup in 2014 where he was first-choice for the Three Lions, and it seems Manchester United must prepare for a period where they lack England regulars in their ranks- as ageing trio Chris Smalling, Michael Carrick and Wayne Rooney are dropping down the fold.

That needs to change for Manchester United and the ideal arrival to kickstart the Red Devils’ revival is Harry Kane, although it’s clear the Spurs ace would command an audacious transfer fee- likely surpassing the £100m mark and becoming the world’s most expensive player should he move.

Finances are not an issue for Manchester United though and the sponsorship opportunities Kane would present means the Red Devils would get an immediate return on their investment, whilst there’s no doubt Kane would be a significant upgrade to their attacking ranks.

With Antoine Griezmann staying put at Atletico Madrid, Kane is one of few top-class strikers who would prove to be exactly the sort of addition Manchester United need and a deal could end-up being priceless for Jose Mourinho’s side.

At just 23, Kane has already netted 78 Premier League goals and has earned 19 senior England caps, scoring eight times, showing that he’s an England star that’s likely to dominate the Three Lions’ set-up for the next decade- just like Wayne Rooney was set to in 2004.

Manchester United certainly benefitted by adding Rooney to their squad, although his career was at a much earlier stage when he was captured from Everton over a decade ago, but the Red Devils can find similar success if they lure Kane.

In reality, a deal after next summer’s World Cup could be easier to secure but making a move this summer would be a real statement of intent- especially after the frustrations the club endured in the Antoine Griezmann saga.