Wout Weghorst Has Shown Signs Of Promise – But There’s Plenty More To Come For Him At Manchester United

It might not have been the most glamorous of signings for Manchester United fans to relish in during this January transfer window, but Wout Weghorst has shown what he can bring to the team with immediate effect.

Signed on-loan from Burnley for a measly £2.5 million fee, Weghorst has been on the receiving end of criticism through no fault of his own.

Manchester United fans expected a number nine of significant stature to come through the revolving doors this January, but with the club up for sale, it was always fantastical to suggest that was going to come to fruition under the Glazers’ ownership.

It is to be expected that when the sale goes through and new owners take over, Manchester United will be first in line in attempting to prize away Tottenham Hotspur’s Harry Kane, which is likely to cost north of £80 million.

However, in the meantime, with the departure of Cristiano Ronaldo being made, Erik Ten Hag knew that he need reinforcements in the centre forward position. With the continuous injuries curtailing Anthony Martial’s involvement, it became an even higher priority heading into the January window.

Ten Hag has openly state that he has followed Weghorst’s career since the age of 16, which has included huge success at VfL Wolfsburg in the Bundesliga and for his national team Holland, in which he scored two against Argentina in the quarter-finals of the World Cup.

Weghorst became more of a household name in England due to his stint at Burnley, which ended up in relegation. The Dutchman failed to impress and was starved for goals in a struggling side under Sean Dyche.

However, since coming in at Manchester United, there have been clear signs of Weghorst’s worth and what he is able to bring to the team. For starters, his hold-up play is some of the best fans will have seen in many a year. Although he is 6foot6, the Dutch international’s technical ability is second to none and has fantastic control with both feet.

Against Crystal Palace and Arsenal, both games away from home, he demonstrated how often he was able to shield the ball and play in others around him. For the likes of Marcus Rashford and Antony, it is exactly the type of service that they will thrive off and be able to hurt teams in behind their defences with open ground in front of them.

Weghorst scored his first goal for the club against Nottingham Forest in the first leg of the EFL Cup semi-final, which was a well-timed rebound finish that was parried quickly at him. Once again, Weghorst perfectly illustrated his capabilities to press from the front and be as involved defensively as he is offensively.

The Dutch striker understands the platform he has been given at Manchester United and is clearly trying to maximise it in order to join the club on a permanent basis in the summer.

Manchester United fans should understand that Weghorst is not a long term option that will become their number one centre forward choice. However, he can potentially be a player that is firmly part of the squad and provide Ten Hag with another dimension to their attack.

Time will tell whether Manchester United can see the best out of Weghorst, but as the first three games prove, he has certainly added a variance to the team that was missing before.