Wout Weghorst will fly to Manchester on Thursday for a medical with a view to signing for Manchester United until the end of the season. The Netherlands striker, who is on loan at Besiktas from Burnley, was identified by his compatriot Erik ten Hag as the ideal solution to United’s search for a forward.
United have agreed to pay Besiktas €3m (£2.7m) as compensation for ending his spell early. The Turkish club have been adamant they would not let Weghorst go without a suitable replacement and have been working to try to bring in Vincent Aboubakar from Al Nassr in Saudi Arabia.
Weghorst has scored eight goals in 16 Turkish league games. He scored twice in 20 Premier League matches for Burnley, after signing from Wolfsburg.
Ten Hag regards Weghorst as a stopgap centre-forward with United working this month to a limited budget. At 6ft 6in he would bring a different dimension to United’s attack.
Ten Hag has said there is a “need” for him to sign a forward in the push for Champions League qualification. Cristiano Ronaldo left before Christmas and the manager said: “I think we have a good team when all the players are available. But with many games coming up, I think there is a need.”
Weghorst has scored five goals in 19 Netherlands appearances, including two at the Qatar World Cup against Argentina.
– Guardian
