Transfer Rumour: Manchester City set to rival Real Madrid in pursuit of Harry Kane

Manchester City are reportedly interested in launching a summer move for Harry Kane, who is a long-term target for Real Madrid.

According to a report by Spanish publication Don Balon, Manchester City are plotting a shock move for Harry Kane, with Pep Guardiola eager to bolster his squad’s attack further. Real Madrid have a long-standing interest in the Tottenham superstar, and are reportedly set to launch a summer move for him.

Kane has shot to superstardom in world football under the tutelage of Mauricio Pochettino, who gave him his first big break at Tottenham in the 2014-15 season. Since then, the player has progressed leaps and bounds, and is now widely regarded as one of the best strikers in the world.

Over the last three seasons, Kane has consistently led the goalscoring charts in England, and has drawn widespread praise from pundits and fans alike. The 24-year-old is at the forefront of the Golden Boot race in the current campaign as well, with 24 goals in 27 league games.

He also has a further 10 goals in 9 games in other competitions, and with numbers like these, it is not surprising that the who’s who of world football are after the Tottenham striker. Real Madrid have been after the England international for a long time now, and for good reason.

Karim Benzema’s form has dipped over the last 18 months or so, and the current campaign has seen the French striker at his worst – Benzema has managed to score just eight goals in 30 appearances for Real Madrid across all competitions.

Of these, only 4 have come in 20 league appearances, and it is no wonder that Real Madrid have struggled to muster up the required numbers in front of goal this season.

So, as Zinedine Zidane looks to revamp his squad in the summer, the need to sign a striker has accentuated. But, Real Madrid aren’t the only big name club in pursuit of Kane, with Manchester City now also in the frame.

The interest from the Premier League leaders though, comes as a huge surprise, with Sergio Aguero in his prime, and still among the leading goalscorers in England. On top of that, Gabriel Jesus has been identified as a long-term solution upfront by Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola.

Nevertheless, Kane, if signed by Manchester City, would be a fantastic addition to Guardiola’s squad. But, he is likely to share game time with other strikers at Etihad, like Aguero and Jesus have done this season, while at Real Madrid, the Tottenham man should start most of the games as the first-choice striker.

Manchester City though, are planning to lure Kane by offering him a higher pay package than what Los Blancos are giving him. Additionally, they are also planning to usurp Real Madrid by bidding higher than the €200 million offer that the La Liga heavyweights are set to lodge.

So, the Harry Kane transfer saga might just have taken an interesting turn, with Manchester City now set to rival Real Madrid in his pursuit. It now remains to be seen which way the Englishman heads off to in the summer, or if he pledges his loyalty to Tottenham instead.