Erik ten Hag names three qualities Wout Weghorst will bring to Man Utd after loan transfer confirmed

Erik ten Hag has claimed he decided to bring Wout Weghorst on loan to Manchester United as he offers a ‘type’ of striker, the club don’t currently have.

The forward was announced as the Red Devils’ second incoming of the January window on Friday night, with the 30-year-old arriving on loan from Burnley until the end of the campaign. His addition is a huge boost to United, with the injury-prone Anthony Martial the only recognised centre-forward Ten Hag currently has in his squad.

Weghorst’s deal was not completed in time for him to be registered for Saturday’s Manchester derby, but he could make his United bow on Wednesday night when they take on Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park.

Speaking ahead of the clash with Manchester City, Ten Hag was asked what Weghorst will bring to the United squad. “He is a striker, and we had an open position there to fill in,” the United manager told the club’s website.

“I think in the balance of the offensive [players], he really fits in. I am really happy, and I don’t think we had the type what he is. Most importantly, he can score goals from everywhere and he was always a surprise at every club, in every league. That is also what I expect here.

“For here, I expect a team player and someone who can link up, a player who will do his defending work and we are really happy to sign him.’’

As referenced by Ten Hag, Weghorst’s goal statistics are impressive. He netted nine in 18 for Besiktas over the first half of the campaign, and managed 70 from 144 appearances during a three-and-a-half year stint at Wolfsburg.

Yet the one goalscoring anomaly of Weghorst’s career came at Burnley, where he only scored twice in 20 matches for the Clarets. Admittedly, those numbers were impacted by the team’s direct style which, despite his 6ft 6in stature, doesn’t always suit Weghorst.