Former Manchester United captain Rio Ferdinand has urged the 20-time English champions to pay "big money" to sign Tottenham Hotspur centre-forward Harry Kane this summer.

The England captain has again been in impressive form for Spurs this season, scoring 17 goals and registering three assists in 26 appearances in all competitions.

Kane's strike against Portsmouth in the FA Cup at the weekend took him onto 265 goals for Tottenham, just one short of Jimmy Greaves's all-time record for the North London outfit.

However, the 29-year-old's contract at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium is due to expire in June 2024, and a recent report claimed that talks over a new deal are yet to begin.

Man United are in discussions with Burnley and Besiktas over a loan deal for Wout Weghorst, as the club look to sign a striker during the January transfer window.

However, the Red Devils will move for a new long-term option this summer, and a recent report claimed that Kane was on the club's shortlist.

Ferdinand has urged his former team to sign the Three Lions international at the end of the campaign.

"Get Harry Kane in. Spurs fans, I'm sorry. You're not going to win anything. He's not going to win anything at Spurs. They're in a bit of turmoil at the minute," Ferdinand said on his Vibe with Five YouTube channel.

"Man United, if you're going to go in the summer: 'Let's go and find a number nine for the next three or four years to hang our hat on, to get 20-25 goals a season every year,' where are you going?

"You're going to have to pay big money for Harry Kane. But at least you know you're getting a man who gets 20-25 goals a season. So Harry Kane can't be going anywhere but Man United."

Meanwhile, former Arsenal forward Paul Merson has also told Man United to "break the bank" for Kane.

"In an age where clubs spend money for fun and world-class centre-forwards are a rarity, I would find it crazy if Manchester United did not break the bank for Harry Kane," he wrote in his column for the Daily Star.

"You can look all around the world, rack your brains and round up every scout within your network and the answer is right there in front of you. There is nobody that comes close to Kane that is currently available.

"If United ever want to catch Manchester City, they've got to go and get Kane. Everybody wants a striker and is searching far and wide but the best centre-forward is staring everybody in the face.

"He plays for a team in Tottenham that are going to win absolutely nothing and surely, sooner or later his head is going to be turned by a move again.

"I don't know what I'm missing here. Even if he costs £150million and it's a four or five-year contract, you are buying over 100 goals. Who else is going to give you that?

"Call me silly but Kane would even give United a chance of winning the Champions League in my opinion. He is a machine. Tottenham are only where they are because of Harry Kane, it really is that simple. He is the difference."

Bayern Munich are also being heavily linked with a move for Kane, allegedly viewing him as the ideal replacement for Robert Lewandowski, who joined Barcelona last summer. body check tags ::