Wout Weghorst, a striker for Burnley, has ended his loan with Besiktas and is now on his way to Manchester United to complete the transfer.
The 30-year-old midfielder, who had been on loan at the Turkish club, has chosen to make the switch to Old Trafford till the end of the season.
Sky Sports News cites sources in Turkey as saying that Weghorst terminated his loan arrangement with Besiktas on Thursday morning.
There was an agreement in principle on Wednesday, so Weghorst can now make the trip to Manchester to finalise his loan move to United.
Both the loan fee and the player’s salary will be covered by Manchester United. The estimated value of the deal is around $4 million.
United hopes to have Weghorst registered by Friday midday so he may play in Saturday’s Manchester derby if everything goes according to plan.
United manager Erik ten Hag has been hunting for a striker replacement since Cristiano Ronaldo’s contract was voluntarily ended at the World Cup after his explosive interview on Talk TV.
It’s no secret that United is looking to add a No. 9 to their roster, and Weghorst would provide them a player with size and a proven track record of goal scoring who they currently lack.
The 6ft 6in striker has nine goals in 18 games for Besiktas this season and scored what proved to be the winner in Saturday’s 2-1 Super Lig victory over Kasimpasa. Weghorst appeared to tearfully wave goodbye to the club’s fans after he scored.
In the summer, United scouted Sasa Kalajdzic and Benjamin Sesko, two players that fit the profile United was seeking in a midfielder like Weghorst.
What makes Weghorst attractive to Man U?
Since United severed connections with Cristiano Ronaldo during the World Cup due to the player’s heated interview with Piers Morgan, in which Ronaldo criticized the club and manager Erik ten Hag, United are desperate to acquire a striker on loan during the January window.
The striker scored twice for the Dutch as they advanced to the semi-finals of the World Cup, where they were ultimately eliminated by eventual winners Argentina. His second goal, a dramatic equalizer off an inventive free-kick pass that forced overtime, is considered one of the most memorable in the tournament’s history.
Wolfsburg’s former top player has made an immediate impact in Turkey, scoring eight goals and adding four assists in 16 league games.
Those numbers stand in sharp contrast to his Premier League production with Burnley last season, when he scored only twice in twenty games, but his overall performance during that time span may have piqued Ten Hag’s interest.
Below is a graphic depicting every shot and opportunity Weghorst made while playing for Burnley last season. Of his 25 shots, just nine were on target, for a conversion percentage of 8% (or a time to goal of 728 minutes).
Martial can’t carry this team, Ten Hag. We need another striker.
Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag claimed on Friday that Anthony Martial’s inability to carry the offensive load means he needs to bring in attacking cover for Marcus Rashford.
Due to injury setbacks, Anthony Martial was unable to play a full game this season.
“There’s logic to why [Martial has been taken off the field in each of the last seven games]. Because he is unable to handle the pressure, “- Ten Hag declared. “We need to find a new striker because of this.
“We aren’t trying to show that we don’t trust in him. In his current condition, he cannot play a 90-minute game every third day. So, I’ll have to work with him to solve that problem.
“Right now, our game is on a knife’s edge because we rely so much on Anthony Martial’s skills. Let’s not overlook his dribbling, passing, and pressuring. For that profile to be a problem, it must fit the aforementioned description.
“Marcus Rashford gains as well from this. So, the fact that only Marcus is scoring goals doesn’t worry me in the least, because I know the other guys [can score, too].
“In the 3-1 victory over Everton in the FA Cup, not only Anthony Martial but also Antony scored. Bruno Fernandes has a high goal-scoring ceiling, and Christian Eriksen can set up and score goals himself. As a result, we now have a greater number of goal-scorers.”