Manchester United are reportedly in talks with Cristiano Ronaldo over a sensational return and are leading the race for Borussia Dortmund winger Jadon Sancho, but may be priced out of moves for strikers Harry Kane and Erling Haaland.
The club face a crucial summer transfer window after another Premier League season finishing well behind champions and rivals Manchester City, with several high-profile players earmarked for a costly rebuild.
And according to the Athletic, Tottenham forward Kane and Haaland may be too expensive but potential transfers for Ronaldo and Sancho are more financially viable options.
Dortmund star Haaland, 20, was said to be United’s top target at the start of the year but when his agent Mino Raiola made it known a fee of £130million was needed – plus agent fees and £500,000 a week in wages – United were priced out of a move.
Outgoing executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward told manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer to steer clear of a move to avoid another protracted saga like they experienced with Haaland’s team-mate Sancho last summer, with Dortmund’s Champions League qualification also understood to be a factor in the Norwegian staying.
Despite veteran Edinson Cavani, 34, remaining at Old Trafford for another season, the club are still in the market for an established, first-team striker – with Kane, who recently opened up on his desire to leave, thought to be under consideration.
Juventus forward Ronaldo is regularly linked with moves away, but leaving Turin is understood to be a genuine possibility, especially if Andrea Pirlo’s side do not finish in the Serie A top four and therefore miss out on the Champions League next season.
The irrepressible 36-year-old has scored 36 goals in 44 appearances in all competitions this campaign, and despite his age is still a fine player, with Solskjaer said to have no hesitations about re-signing him if the financial aspect make sense.
The Portuguese would doubtless become the highest earner at the club – albeit probably on a short-term deal – but with one year left on his contract, he would not demand a huge transfer fee and would also provide massive commercial value.
United infamously missed out on Sancho last summer, but with two years left on his contract, Dortmund are said to have dropped their asking price from £110m to between £70-80m, which the Red Devils feel is highly realistic.
A salary package and agent fees were agreed last year – the transfer fee was the only sticking point – and with Sancho’s close friend Marcus Rashford already in the squad, a deal makes sense for all parties.
United need two or three new signings this summer to close the gap on Manchester City, says Solskjaer.
United are guaranteed to finish in runners-up place behind Pep Guardiola’s side, but are 12 points behind their neighbours in the Premier League table going into the final game of the season.
Solskjaer insists he needs to strengthen his squad to have a chance of competing, warning that improvement won’t happen by itself.
‘We’re planning as we normally do,’ he said. ‘It’s not like the end of the season and “let’s see what we do”, that’s an ongoing process – players who might stay, players who might be leaving, and I hope we’re going to strengthen with two or three players.
‘We definitely need to challenge higher up in the table. We’re still too far behind to think that will come by itself.
‘We’re not where we aim to be. We’ve got ambitions to move one place further up, but it’s been steady improvement.
‘We’ve had a few players on loan that might come back in, and there is interest in a few others going out. But you want to come out of the transfer window strengthened, and it might be we allow some players to go out and come back stronger from it. It’s difficult to say, I can’t see too many outgoings.’
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