Man Utd open Wout Weghorst transfer talks with Burnley

Robin Bairner

• Updated: 10 Jan 2023 07:51 GMT
• 7 min read

Manchester United have opened talks with Burnley over a potential transfer for striker Wout Weghorst, who is presently on loan with Besiktas in Turkey, Sky Sports report.

Seeking a replacement for Cristiano Ronaldo, who left the club by mutual consent in November, Man Utd are trying to find a budget option and have turned their sights on the 30-year-old Netherlands international.

Weghorst caught the eye at World Cup 2022 as he netted a dramatic late equaliser for Netherlands against Argentina, but struggled previously in the Premier League with Burnley, who loaned him to Turkey in the summer.

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Manchester United are presently in talks with the Turf Moor club to discover whether it is possible for the Besiktas move to be terminated at this point, which is the major complicating factor in the possible transfer.

Besiktas, meanwhile, have been bullish over their need to be compensated if they lose the striker, who has scored eight times for them in 16 Super Lig appearances this season.

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Ten Hag wants a target man

It is thought that Man Utd manager Erik ten Hag wants a more physical player to lead the line in the second half of the season.

The Red Devils already tried to find such a figure in the summer as they chased Sasa Kalajdzic, Benjamin Sesko and even Marko Arnautovic.

Ten Hag appears to be following this path with Weghorst, who has been one of the leading centre forwards in Turkey this season, as the interactive graphic below demonstrates.

Manchester United’s options in the January transfer window appear to be restricted to loan signings, having blown their budget on a number of big-money transfers in the summer.

Nevertheless, Ten Hag has earned leverage in the market thanks to Man Utd’s strong performances this season, which have them in strong contention for a Champions League finish – and some even believe a shot at the Premier League title.