12 January 2023 , 11:33
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Incoming Manchester United striker Wout Weghorst previously insisted that an exit clause be included in his move to Burnley following a strong message from former Red Devils’ boss Louis van Gaal.
The Dutch striker looks to be on his way to Old Trafford over the next couple of days after United struck an agreement with both Burnley and his current loan club Besiktas. He will spend the next six months on loan with the Red Devils, who will pay a £2.5m fee to the Turkish giants.
His arrival sees Red Devils’ boss Erik ten Hag get his wish of bolstering his attacking options following the exit of Cristiano Ronaldo. He will now fly over to England for talks and the club could be in line for tough negotiations.
Wout Weghorst is set to become a Man Utd player (Getty Images)In previous negotiations ahead of his move to Burnley, Weghorst demanded a clause which allowed him to leave the club in the event of relegation following his switch from Wolfsburg.
A driving force behind that decision was former United boss Van Gaal who suggested the striker could lose out on a place in the Netherlands’ World Cup squad should he drop down to the Championship. Speaking after the Clarets’ relegation was confirmed, Weghorst said: “I had my thoughts already before I moved to Burnley half a year ago. Of course, we spoke about it.
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“The World Cup is coming up now and that is really important for me, I think it is my biggest dream. It is the biggest (thing) you can achieve as a professional football player.
Weghorst has scored eight goals for Besiktas this season (Hollandse Hoogte/REX/Shutterstock)Will Weghorst be a good signing for Man Utd? Share your thoughts in the comments below
“We have got a trainer (Louis van Gaal) who has clear thoughts about it and playing at the highest level. He is really strict about it so if I want to be there, I had to make the decision.”
Following those talks - and Burnley indeed dropping into the second-tier of English football - Weghorst confirmed that he had no intentions on playing in the Championship for the club and had already discussed that eventuality. He told Voetbal international: "We have clearly agreed in advance that I will not play in the Championship. The club would like to keep me and will do everything they can to return to the Premier League as soon as possible."
In a separate interview with the Irish Examiner, Weghorst added: "My future won’t be next year in Burnley.
“I won’t go into the Championship – not that I feel too good for it, absolutely not. I am just really ambitious and also for the squad of the national team.
“The trainer (Louis Van Gaal) wants us to play at a high level. There are some options for me and just a higher potential of a league than the Championship.
“I have to take the chances offered there. We will see what the future will bring.”
It remains to be seen when Weghorst could make his debut for the Red Devils. United are in action against fierce rivals Man City this weekend in the latest instalment of the Manchester derby, but that could come slightly too soon for the Dutch striker.