Manchester United report: Red Devils reach agreement for striker – but there’s a catch

Manchester United have reportedly agreed terms to sign Burnley striker Wout Weghorst, but Besiktas will only agree to end his loan early if they find a replacement.

The Netherlands international has emerged as Erik ten Hag’s top January target as United look to bolster their attacking options following the departure of Cristiano Ronaldo.

Weghorst has been heavily linked with the Old Trafford club in recent days, but the move is complicated by the fact that he’s currently midway through a season-long loan with Besiktas.

According toFabrizio Romano(opens in new tab), United have now managed to reach a “full verbal agreement” to sign Weghorst on loan and Besiktas will receive around €3m in compensation.

However, the Turkish club still need to approve the transfer and won’t do so until they’ve found a new striker to take the Dutchman’s place in their squad.

The journalist claims that Besiktas want that man to be Cameroon international Vincent Aboubakar, whose future at Al-Nassr is up in the air following the arrival of Ronaldo.

Weghorst has been an important player for Besiktas this season, scoring nine goals in 18 games in all competitions.

That included a strike in a 2-1 win over Kasimpasa last weekend, his fifth goal in the last six league outings.

The 30-year-old was part of the Netherlands’ squad at the World Cup in Qatar and provided one of the most spectacular moments of the tournament when he came off the bench to score twice late on and force extra-time in the Oranje’s quarter-final against Argentina.

Louis van Gaal’s side ultimately lost on penalties to the eventual winners, but Weghorst’s impact will live long in the memory.

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