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Tottenham Hotspur’s Harry Kane applauds the fans after their loss at home to Brentford. Photo: dpa

Manchester United legend Dwight Yorke feels Erik Ten Hag may have no choice but to sign Harry Kane

  • Club legend thinks United boss has had ‘fabulous’ first season but ‘in 2 years might not be in the job’ if results do not go his way
  • Former striker sees Victor Osimhen as riskier move, but either way ‘writing is on the wall’ for Anthony Martial

Dwight Yorke believes Manchester United manager Erik Ten Hag may have no choice but to make Harry Kane his No 1 transfer target this summer.

The 51-year-old knows a thing or two about what it takes to be a United striker, scoring 46 goals in 98 appearances during his time with the club, which included a staring role in Alex Ferguson’s famed 1998-99 treble-winning side.

But United have struggled for goals up front this season, and Yorke feels Tottenham striker Kane, 29, is likely to guarantee an immediate return – which could play into Ten Hag’s thinking, as “in two years you might not be in the job” if results do not go the Dutchman’s way.

While Old Trafford legend Yorke believes Ten Hag has done a “fabulous” job in his first season at the club, having already secured the League Cup and Champions League football for next season, with the FA Cup to play for on June 3, as an out-of-work manager himself he knows “the game can turn around quickly”.

“We know Harry Kane’s scenario – he has a proven record in terms of the number of goals he’s scored, the consistency that he brings,” Yorke told the Post at Hong Kong Football Club, where he is an ambassador for this weekend’s HKFC Citi Soccer Sevens.

Manchester United legend Dwight Yorke at Hong Kong Football Club. Photo: Nicolas Atkin

“The issue is, do you get somebody who is gonna do the business for the next couple of years and be happy with that, or you have Victor Osimhen, a young kid at Napoli who is untested.

“The Premier League is a different ball game, but he’s young [at 24]. You will probably get five years [out of him] at least. Is he gonna be better than what we have? So it depends.

Soccer Sevens bursts back on scene with former stars feeling the love

“The manager might think ‘I need immediate success’ because if he wins two cups, finishes in the Champions League, next season you can’t really fall below that and that’s the problem when you’re at United and the big clubs.

“Does he need immediate success or does he need to try and improve in the long term? So he’s got to figure out what’s best for him and the club in the period of time that he is likely to be there. Yeah, you want a young blood, but he may not have that time to nurse this kid through.

Manchester United manager Erik Ten Hag on the sidelines during their home match against Chelsea at Old Trafford. Photo: AP

“You look at Jose Mourinho, he wanted immediate success, and he wanted players who were already established who could come in and do the job. Managers have different tastes and it’s the manager who makes those calls.

“Yes, in the next two years I would think [Harry Kane] is the perfect scenario, if you’re thinking about making sure United are winning the Premier League. [Ten Hag might think] ‘I can’t go for this kid who might take two years – in two years I might not be in the job’. That’s how quickly the game turns around.”

One thing is seemingly for certain, though – the speculation surrounding Kane and Osimhen signals that Anthony Martial’s time at United is up.

The 27-year-old Frenchman has only scored nine goals in all competitions this season, having spent large parts of it injured, and has often failed to shine when he has managed to stay fit.

Manchester United’s Anthony Martial celebrates after scoring his side’s second goal against Chelsea. Photo: AP

“He’s been there eight years, that’s a long time, when you think of his return,” Yorke said. “Potentially, I thought he was gonna be the real deal for us.

“He’s had some injuries and I can sympathise with that. But in terms of the period of time and the consistency, for me, looking from the managerial side and being in the game, you go on loan at 26 or 27, it’s not a good sign.

“You don’t send your best players on loan. I’ve never heard that. Jesse Lingard’s the same. Good players, at that age, you keep them at your club. You send young players on loan. You can’t send grown men.

“For me that was pretty much the writing on the wall so I would say his time has finally come to an end.”

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