When the chase for Harry Kane and Erling Haaland comes to an end, one of Manchester United, Manchester City, or Chelsea will be left standing.
Three of the Premier League's top four clubs are looking for a striker, and Kane and Haaland are the top names on the list at Old Trafford, the Etihad, and Stamford Bridge, respectively. However, two out of three will leave one club out.
Despite United and Chelsea's interest in the England captain, Kane and City look to have only one eye on each other at the moment. There's no certainty that Haaland will leave Borussia Dortmund this summer, just as there's no certainty that Kane will be able to free himself from Daniel Levy's grasp, and that the Norwegian will be available for approximately half the price next year.
When the wonderkid's contract's release clause kicks in, a line of clubs will form around the block at Signal Iduna Park to try to sign him. Chelsea may consider paying a premium to have him exclusively this summer as a price worth paying for a player who is as close as it comes to a decade of guaranteed goals.
Although Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has refused to rule out a bid for Kane, securing Edinson Cavani for another season has taken the sting out of United's search for a striker this summer. However, Jadon Sancho, Kieran Trippier, and a centre back are United's immediate objectives. Finding the funds to bankroll a move for Kane or Haaland this summer appears to be a difficult task.
It's not impossible that Kane and Haaland will still be available when United's need for a striker becomes more pressing in the summer of 2022. The former's Tottenham contract will expire in two years, making a deal easier, while Haaland's release clause makes a trade uncomplicated.
In such a scenario, United would face stiff competition for both players, and they'll have to show next season that the rate of growth under Solskjaer is picking up.
But who else could it be if not Kane or Haaland? It's a subject that's on everyone's mind at all three clubs, and there's no clear answer, though there might be something that works better next year.
During Spain's goalless draw with Sweden in Seville on Monday night, United scouts would have kept a watch on center back target Pau Torres, and they would have been disturbed to see him given a hard time on a few of times. Torres had his nervous moments against Sweden's main danger, Alexander Isak, and the 21-year-old demonstrated he is a striker on the rise.
In the absence of Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Isak is Sweden's biggest hope in this tournament, and he handled the pressure wonderfully in their Group E opening. In the first half, the Real Sociedad striker hit the post and then set up Marcus Berg for a wonderful opportunity in the second, only for his strike partner to miss the target. Isak's speed and power, as well as his ability to run with the ball, gave him both chances. He appeared to be a forward with all of the tools needed to succeed in today's game.
He is big enough to threaten Premier League defenses aerially at 6ft 4ins, but he is equally as talented with the ball on the ground. He may have played with Haaland, or possibly instead of him, at Borussia Dortmund if he had made his breakthrough a year earlier. Dortmund's investment in youth has paid off in the form of Haaland, Sancho, and Jude Bellingham, but they lost their nerve against Isak.
In January 2017, at the age of 17, he transferred to Dortmund from AIK in Sweden for a rumoured €9 million price. However, he only scored once in 13 appearances for the club, and even a fantastic loan spell with Willem II in Holland wasn't enough to keep him in the Bundesliga. He has scored 33 goals in 89 games since joining Sociedad in 2019 and appears to be the surefire talent Dortmund believed they had signed.
According to Kicker Dortmund, the club had the foresight to include a €30 million buy-back clause in Isak's contract, which might make him a viable alternative for them if Haaland leaves.
But there's no certainty, and with United in need of a long-term No. 9, the Swede may be the ideal replacement for Kane and Haaland.
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