Ed Woodward has been itching to pit his negotiating skills against Daniel Levy – so will Harry Kane tempt the Manchester United chief to the table?

Man United will have been alerted to fresh speculation about the Tottenham striker’s future – with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer a confirmed admirer.

Kane would go a long way to making up for the failed attempt to land Erling Braut Haaland in January, though Spurs remain adamant Kane is not for sale.

Sir Alex Ferguson and former United chief executive David Gill famously shied away from Luka Modric because of a reluctance to haggle with Spurs chairman Levy, but Woodward has no such reservations.

Sources close to him insist he relishes the opportunity to lock horns with his Spurs counterpart – and was fully prepared to do so when United targeted Mauricio Pochettino to replace Jose Mourinho last year.

They ultimately decided to give Solskjaer the permanent job – but it understood neither the compensation package, nor the prospect of tough talks with Levy were considered immovable obstacles if Woodward had determined Pochettino was his man.

Likewise Woodward happily entered the race for Gareth Bale in his first summer in charge of United’s transfers back in 2013.

He was prepared to pay more than the then world record £85million Real Madrid splashed out on the Wales winger – with only Bale’s desire to move to the Bernabeu preventing United from securing the deal.

It will cost more than that to land Kane – a player who has been on Woodward’s wanted list for years.

But will he be able to resist if the England captain really does become available this summer?