Mount joins Bellingham and Kane on Manchester United’s summer target list

Manchester United have added Chelsea’s Mason Mount to a list of attacking midfield targets including Jude Bellingham, who could prove too expensive if Erik ten Hag devotes the bulk of his summer budget to a move for Harry Kane.

Ten Hag wants an elite No 9 and although Napoli’s Victor Osimhen is on United’s radar, Kane is seen as a surer guarantee of Premier League goals. The Tottenham striker could decide it is time for a fresh challenge, although signing him would not be easy.

Spurs hope to ward off suitors by demanding a huge fee for Kane, who is also of interest to Bayern Munich, and that could force United to be more prudent when they look to strengthen in other positions. Borussia Dortmund are expected to want at least £100m for Bellingham and that could make Mount, who is in a standoff with Chelsea over extending his contract before it expires in the summer of 2024, a more affordable option.

United are well aware that doing business with Spurs’s chairman, Daniel Levy, over Kane will not be simple. The England captain, who has less than 18 months on his contract, was unsuccessful when he tried to leave for Manchester City two summers ago.

But the 29-year-old is facing another trophyless season – Spurs lost to Sheffield United in the FA Cup last week and were knocked out of the Champions League by Milan on Wednesday – and has still not won a major honour for club or country. United, who lifted the Carabao Cup last month, are improving under Ten Hag and buying Kane would give them a chance of challenging for the title.

Kane recently broke Jimmy Greaves’s goalscoring record for Spurs and could decide he wants to be a one-club man. Yet the situation at Spurs is uncertain. They are fourth in the Premier League but