Rio Ferdinand has declared that Harry Kane is on a different level to Romelu Lukaku, following Tottenham’s comfortable 2-0 win over Manchester United
As reported by Daily Mirror, Rio Ferdinand has called Premier League top scorer Harry Kane the “real no. 9” and someone who is on a “different level” to Romelu Lukaku, in the aftermath of Manchester United’s disastrous 2-0 loss to Tottenham Hotspur on Wednesday night.
Kane has well and truly established himself as one of the best strikers, not just in England but the entire footballing world. Over the last few seasons, the player has evolved into a goalscoring extraordinaire for Tottenham, often scoring goals at will, while also winning the Premier League Golden Boot in each of the last two campaigns.
It has been more of the same this season as well, with Kane leading the Golden Boot race with 21 goals, and the favourite to do a three-peat come May. His thunderous form has prompted several clubs to express an interest in the England international, with Real Madrid one of the most heavily linked suitors.
Manchester United are a club that have been previously discussed as a possible destination for Kane as well, but that prospect seems to be an unlikely one. The Red Devils signed Romelu Lukaku in a mega-money deal last summer, and while the Belgian striker hasn’t exactly set the stage alight, he looks to be the main man upfront for years to come.
“The contrast between him and Lukaku was so evident. That’s a real No.9.”@rioferdy5 believes that Harry Kane showed exactly why he’s the best striker in the Premier League with his performance vs. Man Utd. pic.twitter.com/y1yNkfac16
— Football on BT Sport (@btsportfootball) January 31, 2018
In contrast to Kane’s 21-goal haul, last season’s Golden Boot runner-up Lukaku has just 11 league goals to his name, and is struggling to match his tally of 25 from 2016-17. While lack of service from his teammates at Manchester United has been attributed as a reason for his poor return, experts have also pointed towards some distinct chinks in his arsenal.
The latest among this group of experts is Manchester United legend Rio Ferdinand, who was speaking in the aftermath of Tottenham’s comfortable 2-0 win over the Red Devils on Wednesday. Ferdinand used Kane’s example to point towards exactly why Lukaku is not yet considered among the best in the world.
“I think Kane showed today why he’s the best striker in the league and one of the most potent in Europe because he’s bullied United’s centre halves,” Ferdinand told BT Sport.
“He totally dominated them physically and brought other people into play. The contrast between him and Lukaku today was so evident it was unbelievable from up here where we watched it. The ball going into him, sticking, holding centre halves off and bringing others into the game. That’s a real No.9. That’s what you want to see a No.9 do.”
Indeed, a closer look at the match would show just how big a role Kane played in his side’s win despite not finding the back of the net, while Lukaku failed to create any sort of an impact for Manchester United apart from a solitary shot.
Ferdinand’s statement only goes on to point just how much Lukaku still needs to work in order to bridge the gap to his Tottenham counterpart. Jose Mourinho, too, would be hoping for a better showing from his star striker as Manchester United aim to maintain their stranglehold on second place on the table with the league title long gone.
