Premier League giants Manchester United are not interested in signing 30-year-old striker Wout Weghorst on a permanent basis.
According to a report by Football Insider, Manchester United are not keen on having Wout Weghorst at the club beyond his loan tenure. The 30-year-old joined the Red Devils in the winter window on a 6-month loan deal. And, as per the recent reports Erik ten Hag’s men are not interested in signing the Dutch forward on a permanent basis.
The Red Devils were forced to enter the market for a new striker after Cristiano Ronaldo’s contract was terminated. The untimely departure of the Portuguese forward and injury concerns of Anthony Martial left Ten Hag with no option other than signing a striker.
United decided to loan in the 30-year-old Burnely forward on the back of his impressive performances at the FIFA World Cup. The Manchester-based club paid Burnley a fee of £2.5 million to buy Weghorst out of his previous loan move to Besiktas.
However, they are not willing to sign him on a permanent basis. His loan deal does not include any buy obligation or option. As a result, he is likely to return to his parent club ahead of next season.
Ever since his return to England, the Dutch striker has featured in 10 matches. But, he has only found the back of the net once. While his work rate has been impressive, he has failed to convert his chances.
In United’s last outing in the Premier League against Leicester City, the 30-year-old had multiple chances to score his first English top-flight goal for the Reds but he failed to fire it home.
Once Anthony Martial is back, he is expected to challenge the Dutch international for a spot in the XI. And, given his record in front of goal, he might find himself on the bench more often than not.
Erik ten Hag’s men are in desperate need of a new number nine. They are heavily reliant on Marcus Rashford for their goals. And, the United boss will be keen on adding a player who can share the goal-scoring responsibility.
One thing is certain the new number nine will not be Wout Weghorst. As United are not willing to sign him on a permanent basis. They will enter the market ahead of next season to look for a high-profile striker. They have been linked with quite a few forwards and it will be interesting to see who they sign.
