(Football news) Manchester United have reached a full agreement with Burnley for the transfer of Dutch striker Wout Weghorst. The 30 year old’s loan spell at Turkish club Besiktas has been terminated and the club have been paid €3m. The player is expected to fly to Manchester today to undergo a medical which will be followed by signing the contract.

Erik ten Hag had publicly stated the need to buy a striker in January after Cristiano Ronaldo’s departure following his explosive interview with Piers Morgan. It will be interesting to see if the player is registered before 12 pm on Friday in order to be eligible to participate in the Manchester derby.

It’s fair to say that Manchester United have struggled to score goals this season and Weghorst offers a different dynamic to Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial. The 30 year old is a proper number 9 and has a formidable aerial presence, being 6 feet 6 inches tall. If that’s not all, he has a respectable scoring record at the club and international level, scoring nine goals in 18 games for Besiktas this season.

The striker also had a decent World Cup, scoring twice against eventual winners Argentina, one of which was arguably one of the most dramatic goals in World Cup history. However, Weghorst has previously struggled in the Premier League, scoring only two goals in 20 games but has other attributes to his game which is why Ten Hag targeted him.

“There is a reason [Martial has been substituted in his last seven games]. It is because he cannot manage the load. This is why we are looking for another striker. It is not about us not relying on him. His physical load is not, at this moment, so high that he can play, every third day, a game of 90 minutes. So I have to manage that together with him. We are on a thin line at the moment because the qualities of Anthony Martial are so important right now to our game. His movements, his ball security, the pressing, let’s not forget that.

“We need that profile to be a threat. Also, Marcus Rashford benefits from that. So I am not concerned that only Marcus is scoring goals, because I am convinced the other players [can score too]. Not only Anthony Martial, but Antony scored [in the 3-1 FA Cup win against Everton]. Bruno Fernandes is also very capable of scoring, Christian Eriksen will create and is also capable of scoring goals. So we have more players who can score goals.” – Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag

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