Man Utd's Weghorst transfer not as straightforward as hoped

Stuart Telford

• 8 Jan 2023 10:52 GMT
• 3 min read

Manchester United are reportedly on the cusp of signing Wout Weghorst from Burnley, but Besiktas, the Dutch striker's loan club, are ready to throw a spanner into the works.

Weghorst has been identified as the man to plug Man Utd's gap in the No.9 position, at least for the rest of this season, with Cristiano Ronaldo gone and the Red Devils' top scorer Marcus Rashford happier playing on the left.

Weghorst had an underwhelming spell at Burnley following his €17.5 million arrival from Wolfsburg last January, scoring just twice in 20 Premier League games, but he scored twice for the Netherlands against eventual winners Argentina at the World Cup, and now has nine from 18 outings with Besiktas.

READ: Man Utd set for Weghorst transfer as Ronaldo replacement

United hope to acquire Weghorst for a nominal loan fee, but his deal with Besiktas runs until June and the Turkish side's stance on his future looks set to drive up his price.

"Weghorst is currently our player," said Besiktas general manager Ceyhun Kazanci. "There's no return clause. Our contract expires at the end of the season. If Manchester United or any other team want him, they have to discuss first with Burnley, who will then contact us.

Kazanci: 'Weghorst can't leave like this'

"We will then discuss the conditions. If we accept, the loan will be terminated. Otherwise, he'll continue until the end of the season. He can't leave like this. There will have to be compensation for us to accept."

READ: Man Utd's 'Ronaldo rule' to limit salaries

Weghorst appeared to bid goodbye to the Besiktas fans on Saturday, approaching the main stand at the Vodafone Park after scoring his side's second in a 2-1 win over Kasimpasa.

Weghorst is currently rated at €18.9m by Football Transfers in-house algorithm and a solutiojn which suits all parties is expected to be found in the coming days, despite Kazanci's protests.