Manchester United head coach Eric ten Hag wanted to sign Bayern Munich striker Harry Kane (at the time Kane was a Tottenham player), but the transfer fell through due to midfielder Casemiro's move to the club the summer before last, The Athletic reports.
Harry Kane, Getty ImagesAccording to the source, Casemiro's €69m deal, plus €11.5m in bonuses, ended Manchester United's hopes of landing Harry Kane last summer because the England striker's salary would have been too high to comply with FFP rules. Kane was ten Hag's preferred choice for the centre-forward position, but United never saw this approach as a realistic one.
"Manchester United chose Casemiro because ten Hag had an immediate impact and the Brazilian was ready to leave Real Madrid. United's football department thought about how he would fit into the team, delved into his injury history, and came to a unanimous decision to go ahead with the deal. At the time, West Ham refused to consider offers for Declan Rice, and ten Hag did not want to wait. Casemiro had an excellent debut campaign, playing 51 games, which was a career high, but this season he did not look at his best and went off injured on 1 November with a hamstring injury.
