Manchester United are getting more hopeful about landing one of England’s best players after beginning initial talks with him and being told he would be open to the transfer, according to a report.

Erik ten Hag has been left reeling from Man Utd’s 7-0 thrashing at the hands of Liverpool. It is the biggest victory in the history of the fiercely contested fixture, as well as Man Utd’s worst loss in the Premier League era.

Ten Hag has worked hard to get Man Utd firing in recent months. They have put themselves in a strong position to make the Premier League’s top four, won the Carabao Cup and beaten Barcelona in the Europa League.

However, the defeat to Jurgen Klopp’s side shows that more work needs to be done. Some of the players who have looked so improved under Ten Hag went back to their old ways of not competing and seemingly not caring.

According to the Daily Mirror, the Dutchman punished his players on Monday morning by making them listen to a recording of Liverpool’s dressing room celebrations right after their win.

He will make them train exceptionally hard in the next few days to show that the loss is not acceptable. While these punishments are necessary, Ten Hag knows players must also be added to the squad to ensure this kind of thing never happens again.

READ MORE: Pundit has major doubts over top Man Utd and Chelsea target and claims he is not ‘good enough’ to score 20 goals

The Red Devils need a new striker to lead their forward line for when Wout Weghorst’s loan spell ends. England skipper Harry Kane is one of the goalscorers on their radar, and a major update has now arrived on his prospective switch to Old Trafford.

According to The Sun, Man Utd are becoming ‘confident’ they will be able to snare Kane from Tottenham in the summer. They have started preliminary talks with the 29-year-old’s camp through a third party. And in a major boost, Man Utd officials have been left ‘encouraged’ by the response to their approach.

Man Utd to benefit from potential Spurs failure

The main factor which will help Kane move to Manchester is Spurs failing to qualify for next season’s Champions League. And this is looking increasingly likely, with Liverpool only three points behind Spurs and benefitting from a game in hand.

Spurs have previously set Kane’s price tag at a stunning £150million. But The Sun claim he will be available for less than £100m if Spurs do not make the UCL. This is due to his contract expiring at the end of next season.

Man Utd capturing Kane would quite simply be a sensational move. He is one of the best strikers in the world, having notched 80 goals in 135 matches across the last three campaigns.

He is a nightmare for opposition defenders due to his deadly finishing, aerial ability, strength and vision.

By signing Kane, Man Utd would effectively be adding around 20-25 goals per season to their squad. This could result in them getting the better of Arsenal and Manchester City next season and finally winning the Premier League title again.

Meanwhile, Tuesday’s Transfer Gossip claims Man Utd are preparing a ‘huge’ offer for a Serie A player.

The article Man Utd ‘confident’ of achieving blockbuster signing after initiating contact, with ‘encouraging’ response received appeared first on Teamtalk.com.