Wout Weghorst a Shock Target for Manchester United

2012

It is no secret Manchester United are in the hunt for a new striker. The Red Devils have been playing Anthony Martial as the central striker when fit and despite producing some good displays, he is not the out and out goal scorer Erik ten Hag wants to the lead the line in his team.

There have been many reports over the last few weeks linking Manchester United with Joao Felix, Cody Gakpo, Victor Osimhen, Memphis Depay, and even Kylian Mbappe but the man who as emerged as a genuine target has come as a shock to Manchester United fans.

According to reports in the press, Burnley and Netherlands striker Wout Weghorst could be about to move to Old Trafford.

The 30-year-old striker is currently playing for Besiktas in Turkey and having played in the 2-1 win against Kasimpasa on Saturday, he appeared to be saying goodbye to the supporters at the final whistle.

However, there is nothing in the loan deal between Burnley and Besiktas that suggests Weghorst can simply walk away from the club without their being some sort of financial settlement.

The question is, why does Ten Hag want Weghorst at Manchester United, a club who should be aiming to sign the best players in the world?

The financial situation is one reason and there are limited funds to strengthen the squad in January. This is partly due to the outlay in the summer and the fact Manchester United will most likely have new owners sometime in 2023.

The Glazers are not going to sanction a big money transfer when they are in the process of selling the football club. So, Ten Hag’s hands are tied by a lack of funds and that partly explains why he is moving for Weghorst.

Critics will point to the fact Weghorst is Dutch and that may be why Ten Hag is going for the striker.

It may help that both player and manager are from the same country but if Felix was available for a reasonable loan fee there is every chance Ten Hag would add the Portuguese to his squad, so nationality has little influence in any potential deal.

In terms of what he brings on the pitch, Weghorst offers something different to the other forwards in Manchester United’s squad.

Standing at 1.97 m, Weghorst is much taller than any of the other current Manchester United forward players and certainly brings an aerial presence the team does not have right now.

Looking at the potential goal output, Weghorst scored 70 goals in 144 games for Wolfsburg before he joined Burnley and found the back of the net for Netherlands at the 2022 World Cup.

However, his time at Burnley did not work out and Weghorst scored only 2 goals in 20 appearances for the club. The former AZ Alkmaar man has scored 9 goals in 18 games for Besiktas this season but the standard of the Turkish league is below the Premier League.

There is no doubt the signing of Weghorst is not what Manchester United fans want or expected from this transfer window. If he joins, it will be up to the Dutchman to prove his worth.