Manchester United identify 29-year-old forward as replacement for Cristiano Ronaldo but could face competition from 2 other clubs for his signature - Reports

Manchester United have reportedly identified Tottenham Hotspur striker Harry Kane as a potential replacement for superstar forward Cristiano Ronaldo.

As per Fichajes.net (via Sportsmole), the Red Devils are among three teams keen to sign Kane next summer. Chelsea and Bayern Munich are the other two sides interested in the 29-year-old.

Cristiano Ronaldo was notably part of a lengthy transfer saga in the recently concluded summer transfer window. The Portuguese wished to leave United, with the lack of UEFA Champions League football touted to be a major reason.

However, a lack of potential suitors saw Ronaldo remain at Old Trafford until at least January 2023. It's worth noting that both Chelsea and Bayern were linked with the forward in the summer.

While the Blues brought in Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, the Bavarians chose not to sign an experienced out-and-out striker.

Cristiano Ronaldo's current contract with Manchester United is set to expire next summer. While the club have the option of extending his deal by a further year, it remains to be seen if they will do so.

The aforementioned report suggests that they could instead go after Kane, who is younger and has been in incredible form this season. The Englishman has scored six goals and laid out an assist in seven Premier League matches this term.

However, Manchester United will not have it easy. The report added that Chelsea are weighing up a potential swap deal with Tottenham that could see them sign Kane and Romelu Lukaku to move the other way.

Lukaku, currently on loan at Inter Milan, thrived under Spurs boss Antonio Conte during their time together with the Nerazzurri.

Bayern, meanwhile, were linked with Kane during this summer's transfer window. However, their sporting director Hasan Salihamidzic stated that he hadn't spoken with anyone in the Englishman's camp. Salihamidzic went on to add that they were content with the attacking players they had.

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Tottenham's Harry Kane and Manchester United's Cristiano Ronaldo have endured contrasting starts to the season

Following all the speculation surrounding his future, Cristiano Ronaldo was named on the bench for Manchester United's Premier League opener. He returned to their starting XI for their second and third games, but both matches ended in defeats, forcing Erik ten Hag to change his strategy.

The Red Devils have since won five of their six matches across all competitions to get their season back on track. Ronaldo has started just two of those games, both in the UEFA Europa League, while coming off the bench in the other four, and has scored once.

Kane, meanwhile, is an undisputed starter for Tottenham. He has been substituted just once in nine matches across competitions, racking up 798 minutes on the pitch.

Overall, he has played 395 times in all competitions for Spurs, scoring 254 goals and laying out 60 assists.