Man Utd told muddled way Ten Hag can complete bizarre striker signing, as club chief demands a ‘reward’

A Man Utd move for Burnley’s Wout Weghorst has been acknowledged by the chief of the club he’s currently loaned to, and a complex chain of events that would result in the giant Dutchman lining up at Old Trafford has been cited.

It’s common knowledge Manchester United overspent during Erik ten Hag’s first window at the helm. Casemiro (£70m) and Antony (£85m – both including future add-ons) were the biggest offenders and the Dutch boss is paying the price six months later.

Indeed, Ben Jacobs reported the likeliest reason United didn’t pull the trigger for Cody Gakpo was finances.

That allowed Liverpool to swoop in, with a loan move now taking centre stage as United seek to fill the void left by Cristiano Ronaldo.

Joao Felix is available, though Atletico are demanding a hefty £18.5m package for what would only be a six-month deal. In any case, today’s Transfer Gossip detailed Arsenal’s powerplay that could see Felix arrive at the Emirates outright.

Al Nassr’s Vincent Aboubakar is another in United’s crosshairs. The Cameroon veteran could be forced out by Ronaldo’s arrival and reports out of Saudi Arabia suggest a convincing offer has already been tabled.

However, Burnley’s Wout Weghorst has since come to the fore, with the BBC reporting the giant Dutchman has emerged as a shock Man Utd target.

The 30-year-old is currently on loan at Turkish side Besiktas where by all accounts, he’s excelling.

The 6ft 5in striker is operating at a goal every other game having notched eight in 16 thus far. However, the Manchester Evening News report Weghorst appeared to be saying goodbye to the Besiktas faithful on Saturday, thus heightening speculation he’s bound for Manchester.

In any case, a deal is far from straightforward given he’s currently on a season-long loan. The BBC reported Burnley did not include a break clause, meaning United would have to reach agreements with both Burnley and Besiktas.

Now, responding to the speculation, Besiktas’ sporting director, Ceyhun Kazanci, has outlined one way in which United can complete the move.

Weghorst to Man Utd could require sizeable loan fee

Initially referencing Weghorst’s apparent goodbye to Besiktas, Kazanci said (via Fanatik): “I don’t understand why Weghorst said goodbye to the fans, why he made such a move,.

“He is our football player right now. Our contract expires at the end of the season.

“If Manchester United or any other team wants Weghorst, they will meet with Burnley anyway.

“Burnley will then contact us and discuss the terms of separation. If we accept, the contract will be terminated. Otherwise, it will go on until the end of the season.

“He can’t just go. There will have to be a reward for us to approve the separation.”

Kazanci then detailed a chain of events that if followed, could see Weghorst end up at Old Trafford.

“I’ll give an example,” continued Kazanci. “[If] Burnley told us, ‘We made a deal with this team for Weghorst. We give you half of the transfer fee’. This may be a different condition. Then we’ll sit down and talk.”

Besiktas’ loan deal for Weghorst includes an option to buy at season’s end for €10m (approx. £8.8m), per the MEN.

In other words, Besiktas would demand something close to half of the value of the option from Burnley, who would obviously ask Man Utd to cover that cost.

Essentially, United would be on the hook for a loan fee of around £4.4m.

Whether United would be willing to stump up that cash for a player who only scored twice in 20 EPL appearances at Turf Moor remains to be seen.

TRANSFER GOSSIP: Arsenal agree £80m package to beat Man Utd to striker signing; Tottenham step up bid to sign Hugo Lloris upgrade