Manchester United praised for avoiding ‘bullsh*t’ problem in Harry Kane saga

Manchester United will sign Rasmus Hojlund on a long-term deal after deciding against a pursuit for Tottenham Hotspur striker Harry Kane.

The Reds tested the waters earlier on in the window to see if they could tempt the north London-based club to sell their star man, who had entered his last year of his contract.

However, according to multiple reports, the line from Spurs chairman Daniel Levy was clear. Kane was not available to be sold to a Premier League rival. The only potential suitors for Kane at this moment seems to be Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich.

United would move on and eventually agree a deal with Atalanta for the transfer of Hojlund, who is instead at the beginning of his career rather than the peak. He completed his medical on Thursday and could be officially announced this weekend.

Rio Ferdinand, who has previously told his former club to chase the England captain, believes that moving away from a long-chase of Kane was the right move for United.

The legendary centre-back explained that there has been too many ‘bullsh*t’ sagas involving United in recent years and appreciates the approach that those at Old Trafford took in relation to the striker pursuit.

“They have been very decisive. They had their targets and went out and got them done early,” Ferdinand told The Athletic.

“We haven’t had the bullsh*t we’ve had in past years where everything becomes a saga and it is always a will-they-won’t-they scenario. It has been refreshing.

“They quickly saw they weren’t going to get Harry or that it was going to be a prolonged saga, so there is no point doing that. I like that approach.”

Hojlund coming in offers a larger risk than Kane, who is a Premier League proven goalscorer and one of the best strikers in the world. The Danish forward scored only nine Serie A goals for Atalanta last term.

However, he also brings a potential longer-term benefit if he’s able to reach his potential at United. Ferdinand believes that his skillset is perfect but warns that a bedding-in period can be expected for a player so young.

“I have seen a bit of Hojlund and I like what I see,” he added. “He has all the attributes you want in a player: he is mobile, quick, aggressive and can finish.

“An added bonus is that it seems he supports Manchester United. But he is a young player and you have to give him time.”

Ferdinand’s former teammate Mikael Silvestre has also stated that Hojlund must be afforded time to settle into the team and league, comparing his signing to that of Darwin Nunez at Liverpool last summer.

The Uruguayan forward scored nine league goals for United’s rivals last term, but had difficult moments and missed tons of chances as he adapted to his new team and league.