Wout Weghorst Netherlands 2022 World CupGetty

Weghorst can be 'like Giroud' for Man Utd as Evra backs potential transfer for 'really interesting player'

  • Red Devils looking to land a striker
  • Netherlands international in their sights
  • Dutchman cut from same cloth as French star

WHAT HAPPENED? The Netherlands international striker, who is still contracted to Burnley, is in the process of trying to break one loan at Turkish outfit Besiktas and secure another with Premier League giants from Old Trafford. Questions have been asked of why United are targeting the 30-year-old frontman, but others have backed him to offer something “different” to the Red Devils – with Evra suggesting that the physically imposing Dutchman could play a similar role to France’s all-time leading scorer Olivier Giroud, who has previously impressed in English football with Arsenal and Chelsea.

WHAT THEY SAID: Evra has told Betfair of seemingly imminent transfer business in Manchester: “Reports are saying that Wout Weghorst looks set to sign for Man United, we've been here before, we've had so many players looking set to sign and we need to be careful, but he is a good player. As a player, what I like about him is he reminds me a little bit of Olivier Giroud. He plays with his back to goal, with his stamina, he's strong physically and he knows how to keep the ball. He knows how to play in that fixed position, players like [Marcus] Rashford and all the team will enjoy playing with a player like that. Like Giroud, sometimes you just pass them the ball and you can run behind them. He's a good finisher and he can finish with both feet. He's strong in the air. That's the kind of striker that I can see being successful if they sign for United.”

THE BIGGER PICTURE: Former United defender Evra added on the qualities that Weghorst will bring to Erik ten Hag’s squad: “You can see that he's not just a goal scorer, you can see that Ten Hag wants to have more control in matches and I think United's problem is they are winning but they don't control the games for 90 minutes and with those kinds of players, they let you breathe when you are under pressure. You can play the ball to him, on his chest, on his head and he will keep the ball or can make assists for other players. Tactically and technically, I think he could be a really interesting player for United. This would be great, but let's wait until he is playing in a United shirt. When you perform with other clubs in other leagues you will always be judged when you do it in the Premier League.”

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IN THREE PHOTOS:

Wout WeghorstGetty

Beşiktaş - VavaCars Fatih Karagümrük WeghorstAA

Olivier Giroud France Poland 2022 World CupGetty

WHAT NEXT? Weghorst registered just two goals for Burnley through 20 appearances after joining the Clarets from Wolfsburg in January 2022, but he has found the target on nine occasions for Besiktas and also came close to dashing Argentina’s World Cup dreams with a dramatic brace in an epic quarter-final encounter in Qatar.

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