07 January 2023 , 18:18
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Wout Weghorst appeared to say his goodbyes to Besiktas fans with a move to Manchester United being explored.
The Dutch international striker is on a loan deal at the Turkish giants from Burnley but has been identified by United boss Erik ten Hag as a January transfer target. It comes after Cristiano Ronaldo – who completed a stunning move to Saudi Arabian club Al-Nassr – left Old Trafford in November.
The Portuguese superstar ended his relationship with United by mutual consent in November following a bombshell interview with Piers Morgan. United are hopeful of bolstering their attacking ranks in January following the exit of Ronaldo, which has left Anthony Martial and Marcus Rashford as the only established forwards in Ten Hag’s squad.
Weghorst shared an emotional moment with the Besiktas fans after scoring on Saturday (beinSPORTS)Weghorst – a compatriot of the United boss, who scored twice for the Netherlands against Argentina in a dramatic World Cup quarter-final – scored for Besiktas in the Istanbul club’s victory over Kasimpasa in the Super Lig on Saturday and shared an emotional moment with the club’s celebrating fans, in which he appeared to mouth “bye bye” as he thanked them for their support.
The 30-year-old striker had bagged 10 goals in 21 outings for Besiktas, whom he joined on loan from Burnley. The striker moved to Turf Moor in January last year from Wolfsburg – where he had impressively bagged 70 goals in three-and-a-half seasons – but struggled for form in the Premier League, netting just twice in 20 appearances as Burnley were relegated.
Marcel Sabitzer completes Man Utd transfer after last-minute deadline day dash
Foot Mercato now claims that Weghorst is set to join United with a deal ‘almost complete’ between the relevant parties. It is claimed that Ten Hag wanted to prioritise the addition of a central striker who was strong in the air to add to his squad. Mirror Football understands that talks are underway between United and Burnley over a move but it's not yet as close to completion as the report states.
Weghorst has bagged 10 goals in all competitions for Besiktas this term (beinSPORTS)Have Your Say! Would Weghorst be a good short-term signing for Man Utd? Tell us what you think here.
Al-Nassr striker and Cameroon international Vincent Aboubakar was also linked to Old Trafford, with the club hopeful of signing an experienced striker on a short-term deal until the end of the season before signing a long-term target on a permanent basis in the summer.
Aboubakar is one of the most underrated strikers on the market after scoring 145 goals in 348 games. Many of those goals have come in Europe after spells with Porto and Besiktas.
The Cameroon skipper has also delivered at international level. Aboubakar has scored 35 goals in 94 caps for his country - including the winner against Brazil at the recent World Cup in Qatar - and won the Africa Cup of Nations in Gabon six years ago.