With Wout Weghorst flying to England today ahead of his loan move to Manchester United, there is a chance that the 30-year-old striker could be involved against Manchester City in the derby on Saturday. The Manchester Evening News understands that the Reds are working to get the deal completed "as soon as possible".
The Dutchman, who would need to be registered by midday on Friday in order to play against the Blues, is set to cost the Reds £2.5million. The money will be paid to Besiktas, who have reluctantly agreed to terminate his loan deal. Given that he scored nine goals in the last 18 games for the Turkish club, it was unsurprising that they wanted to keep hold of the frontman.
However, Weghorst has always been keen on a move to Old Trafford, and with Erik ten Hag desperate to sign a striker following the departure of Cristiano Ronaldo in November, it all makes sense. While the player managed just two goals in 20 appearances for Burnley during his underwhelming stint with the Clarets, his overall goalscoring record is still impressive.
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Having scored 70 goals in 144 matches for Wolfsburg and 45 times in 86 games for AZ Alkmaar, it is no surprise that Weghorst has been highly rated during his career. The striker, who has scored five times for his country since making his debut in 2018, previously received the backing of former United boss Louis van Gaal, who made it very clear how much he rates the player.
Weghorst featured under Van Gaal at the recent World Cup in Qatar, where he scored twice in the Netherlands' quarter-final defeat to Argentina. He is someone that is respected and admired by the former Reds boss, and his qualities were lauded.
Dutch outlet Trouw explained how Weghorst was valued by coaches and 'loved' by Van Gaal, with the Dutchman thought to be impressed by the striker's work rate, expressiveness and enthusiasm.
Speaking last summer, after a Nations League match against Wales, in which Weghorst scored the winner, Van Gaal said: "Weghorst had (a) blood (injury) and he had to go off. I thought he was injured, but he was not injured. Memphis was with me and I said to him, 'No, no, if he is fit, I don't change'.
He added: "You know who scored the winning goal? Weghorst! Yes! And I think..." before patting himself on the back.
Van Gaal is not the only high-profile coach who has praised the Dutch frontman, either. The 30-year-old played a vital role in Burnley's equaliser in their 1-1 draw against United last season at Turf Moor. His influence in the clash led to praise from Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp, who was impressed by the striker.
"They (Burnley) brought in a new striker. If you saw the game, you would have seen he is a lively boy," said Klopp. "He was very active all over the pitch. Burnley ask for all physicality you can put in a game, we cannot have the ball all the time and they are good when they have the ball."
Ralf Rangnick, who took charge of United for the second half of last season, also lauded the Dutch forward - even comparing him to Liverpool legend Ian Rush.
Speaking to club media, he said: "He looks with his size, a little bit like Ian Rush, for example, but he’s a very technical player. Due to his size, he is also physically present but he’s not that much of a physical target striker. He is more of a technical player.
"Also, he had good times at Wolfsburg when Oliver Glasner was head coach, he did extremely well and scored quite a few goals. I thought he was a good signing and one of the best possible signings to replace [Chris] Wood."
With Anthony Martial currently the only senior striker at Old Trafford, Weghorst will be under pressure to deliver when he gets his chance with the Reds. Ten Hag's side are still competing in every available competition and are hopeful of achieving cup glory, and with a hectic period to come, every player will need to contribute.
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