Manchester United reach agreement to sign Wout Weghorst from Burnley

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By Martin Graham | 12th Jan 2023

Dutch forward Wout Weghorst is bound for Old Trafford after his parent club Burnley reached an agreement with Man Utd to sign him. Weghorst is currently on loan with Besiktas and is open to returning to the Premier League.

It seems that Manchester United have come to a point where they cannot attract the big names to Old Trafford. The decisions at the club have left more questions than answers. Erik Ten Hag is building the team after his image, and it may take a while for the club to challenge for the elite titles again.

Cristiano Ronaldo left United ahead of the kickoff of the World Cup, with his departure opening a can of worms at the club. Perhaps Man Utd is broke as they have struggled to replace the Portuguese megastar with another high-profile striker. The Red Devils are looking in a different direction for striker options.

Manchester United fans had hoped the club would go for a striker that would command plenty of respect, but they have opted for a name no different from what they have. United have agreed to a deal with Championship side to sign Holland forward Wout Weghorst.

United replace Ronaldo with Weghorst

Championship side Burnley has agreed to sell Dutch forward Wout Weghorst to Manchester United. The striker, who is currently on loan at Turkish side Besiktas will join the Premier League side this month following the agreement. However, it is not that straightforward, as there are a few bottlenecks to overcome.

Besiktas are not keen to release the 30-year-old to Burnley because there is no recall clause in his loan deal with the Turkish side. The Turkish giants want a hefty compensation fee that will allow Weghorst to return to Burnley. Without an agreement between Burnley and Besiktas, it is hard to see United complete a deal for the striker.

According to the latest report, United have agreed that a £2.6m (€3m) fee will go to Besiktas to facilitate a switch. Should Besiktas accept the deal, Weghorst will join the Red Devils on loan for the rest of the season. The Dutch forward was underwhelming with the Clarets as they were relegated to the Championship last year.

Besiktas – making life difficult for Man Utd

With everything seemingly in place, Besiktas are insisting they be allowed to find a replacement for Weghorst before allowing the Dutch forward to travel to England.

The drama is endless, as there are reports of former Besiktas player Vincent Aboubakar linking up with the club in a third spell. The Cameroonian striker fell out of favour with Saudi Arabian club Al-Nassr following the arrival of Cristiano Ronaldo.

Transfer expert Fabrizio Romano reports that a verbal agreement is in place between the three clubs. They will only allow Weghorst to travel to England after they find a replacement. Ten Hag wants his countryman to replace Portuguese superstar Cristiano Ronaldo.

During his five-month spell at Turf Moor, Weghorst scored just two Premier League goals. In the less competitive Turkish league, Weghorst has been more successful, as he has scored ten times this season. He also scored the equalizer for Holland in the World Cup quarter-final clash with Argentina, which his side eventually lost on penalties.