Transfer Gossip: Man Utd facing earth-shattering £300m hit to sign top Ten Hag target; Tottenham, Newcastle in fight for 268-goal striker

Erik ten Hag Man Utd

Manchester United are facing a potential £300million hit if they continue their pursuit of Erik ten Hag’s top striker target, while Sunday’s Transfer Gossip claims Tottenham will fight Newcastle to land a forward who is currently struggling to rediscover his best form out on loan.

UNITED STRIKER SIGNING COMES WITH MEGA PREMIUM

Manchester United are reportedly facing a staggering bill approaching £300million if they want to pursue their interest in England captain Harry Kane.

The Old Trafford hierarchy are said to have done their homework and discovered that neighbours Manchester City would have had to pay the Tottenham talisman £375,000-a-week when they tried to sign him 18 months ago.

Huge bonuses over the length of a five-year contract and a potential transfer fee of £120m are also added to that mix, if Daniel Levy decides to finally let the England skipper leave.

The report in the Daily Star adds that top players can almost double their basic wage if bonus targets are hit for appearances, scoring record and winning trophies. There is also a signing-on fee to factor into the financial equation.

Kane’s demands for his weekly wage could even rise to as high as £400,000, which would be astronomical for United and bring the total cost of a deal for the 29-year-old to around £300m. And that comes at a time when the Red Devils are trying to lower the wage expectations of their squad.

United salary cap could scupper Kane signing hopes

The Star adds that while United chiefs reportedly want to introduce a salary cap of £200k-a-week, that figure is a little wide of the mark.

However, in the midst of a potential Old Trafford takeover, bringing down costs could play a major part in any sale.

But on the flip side, having a cap on player salaries could completely scupper United’s chances of landing Kane. And that would come as a blow to Erik ten Hag, who views the Spurs star as the perfect No.9 in his continued revolution of the club.

However, the Dutchman does have other targets in mind, if a move for Kane fails.

SPURS, NEWCASTLE IN LUKAKU FIGHT

Tottenham and Newcastle are being tipped to battle for Chelsea striker Romelu Lukaku at the end of the season.

A report from CMW on Saturday claimed that Toon boss Eddie Howe wants the Belgian, who is currently on loan at Inter Milan, on board in the summer.

The 29-year-old could replace Chris Wood at St James’ Park, with the Magpies almost certain to offload the current Nottingham Forest loanee at the end of the current campaign.

However, Calciomercato now adds that Spurs could also be in the hunt for Lukaku in what could be a fascinating fight between the two clubs.

For Tottenham, much will depend on whether Antonio Conte signs a new deal, given that Lukaku played under Conte as Inter tasted Serie A title success the season before last.

And with Harry Kane’s future very much up in the air, Lukaku is viewed as a straight replacement.

Newcastle, however, have the spending power and are likely to be able to offer the greater salary. It could also come down to which of the two clubs secures Champions League football for next season, with one of them almost certain to miss out.

With a new project taking place at Chelsea under Todd Boehly and Graham Potter, Lukaku’s long-term future is very much up in the air.

A permanent return to Inter looks out of the question, given their financial struggles. Meanwhile, Lukaku has not exactly had the best of times back at the San Siro, scoring only twice this season.

Chelsea paid £97.5million to bring Lukaku back to the club last season. But they will likely take a massive hit on that figure , if they opt to sell at the end of this season.

VILLA, PALACE FACE £25M HIT TO LAND WINGER

Watford are holding out for a £25million fee for star man Ismaila Sarr, as the winger’s name keeps appearing on Premier League radars.

Pape Matar Sarr, Senegal, FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 - Group A - Senegal v Netherlands - Al Thumama Stadium, Doha, Qatar

Top-flight clubs hoping for a bargain deal or even a drop in price have been reminded of the valuation, added to the fact that the Hornets are refusing to buckle over how highly they rate the attacker.

Aston Villa are keen and Crystal Palace have been long-term admirers of the Senegal star, although that price tag appears to be too high for both – as reported in The Sun.

Sarr moved to Vicarage Road for a club-record £40m three-and-a-half years ago.

He has gone on to contribute 31 goals and 22 assists in 114 appearances for the club.

However, the Hornets have a tough decision to make over Sarr, given that they are in the Championship play-off spots but are a whopping 13 points off automatic promotion.

A significant offer for the 24-year-old could tempt them into a sale, especially if it allows them to bring in two or three new faces to strengthen their promotion push.