Manchester United have been urged not to splash the cash on the transfer of Tottenham striker Harry Kane this summer as they’ll only have to replace him again in a couple of years.
Former Red Devils star Andy Cole believes his old club cannot be making such a short-term signing again, calling instead for them to invest in someone who can do a job up front for them for the next five years.
Man Utd have signed a few ageing stars in recent times, with mixed success, with Robin van Persie firing the club to the title in his first season back in 2012/13, while Zlatan Ibrahimovic also had a decent impact in his relatively short spell at Old Trafford.
More recent signings like Edinson Cavani and Cristiano Ronaldo, however, have not really worked out, so it’s a tricky one for United as they try to work out what to do with their attack next season.
Kane seems absolutely ideal in some ways, but Cole has made it clear he thinks the England international’s age is going to become an issue pretty quickly.
“Manchester United can’t go with a short-term solution again,” Cole told William Hill, as quoted by the Metro.
“They can’t go and spend £80 million or £100 million on Harry Kane. In two years’ time they’ll turn round and say to themselves, ‘he’s 32, we need to get ourselves another striker’. They can’t afford to find themselves in that position again.
“When you look at the recognised strikers that Manchester United have had, you look at the likes of Robin van Persie, but the crazy thing is that he only stayed for two years, and ever since then it has just been one after another for two years.
“A football club like Manchester United cannot just keep having different strikers for two years at a time, it’s ridiculous.
“They know now that they have to sign someone who is going to give them five years.”