'Dissatisfied' Weghorst set for controversial transfer

Imre Himmelbauer

15 Nov 2023 10:16 GMT
3 min read

Former Manchester United loanee Wout Weghorst could be on the move again, with the 31-year-old striker unhappy with his current situation at Hoffenheim.

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Weghorst is owned by Premier League side Burnley, yet since the Turf Moor side were relegated 18 months ago, he has not appeared in the plans of manager Vincent Kompany.

Instead, he has experienced three different loan deals, having spells at Besiktas, Man Utd and now Hoffenheim with varying degrees of success.

At Old Trafford, he is remembered for scoring only twice in 31 outings, albeit he did net in the League Cup final to seal silverware for Erik ten Hag’s side.

Weghorst remains under contract with the Clarets until 2025 but there appears to be little prospect of him returning to the Premier League outfit.

Galatasaray line up Weghorst move

Turkish media report that he could be heading back to the Super Lig, with Galatasaray hunting a move for the veteran forward, who memorably netted for the Netherlands in a thrilling World Cup quarter-final with Argentina a year ago.

A switch to Galatasaray would be an exciting move but it would also be a controversial return to Turkey given the Istanbul club’s rivalry with Besiktas.

Weghorst had enjoyed success in the Super Lig previously, scoring nine goals and creating four more in 18 games before his loan was abruptly terminated by Man Utd’s interest in him.

Wout Weghorst: Transfer valuation over time

The centre-forward himself is reportedly open to a return to Turkey. The 27-time Netherlands international (7 goals) has netted in Hoffenheim’s last three Bundesliga matches as the club has climbed to sixth in the standings.

If Galatasaray are to sign the journeyman forward, though, they will have to pay a transfer fee given he is under contract with Burnley until the summer of 2025.

The Clarets’ valuation of the player is unclear at this point, but according to FootballTransfers’ Player Valuation Model, Weghorst is worth in the region of €11 million.