wout-weghorst-man-united-everton-premier-league-transfers
wout-weghorst-man-united-everton-premier-league-transfers
Manchester United have had some of the most feared strikers in English football to grace the pitch at Old Trafford.
In the modern era, two men stick out more than most: Wayne Rooney and Robin van Persie. They were two ruthless centre-forwards who played their part in Premier League title successes.
Reuters / Darren Staples
Following in the footsteps of a certain Ruud van Nistelrooy was no easy task but Rooney and then Van Persie made it look like child's play.
That said, in more recent times, United's recruitment in that area of the pitch has not been good. Mention the name Wout Weghorst around Old Trafford and it will send a shiver down the spines of supporters.
What went wrong for Weghorst at Man Utd
He is "the worst player I've ever seen in a Manchester United jersey." That was the way Richard Keys described Weghorst's time at United.
Damning, right? Fair, perhaps. The Dutchman was signed in January 2023 on a loan deal until the end of the season but it was a rather large waste of time.
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He scored just twice in 31 games across all competitions. In the Premier League, Weghorst went a long 17 matches without finding the net. The giant Dutchman only actually started ten of the 20 games he was available for in the top flight.
So, why did it go so wrong? Well, his big frame meant he wasn't exactly capable of running in behind and while he was a physical presence, United needed more than that.
Weghorst was brought in for an extra dose of goals and eventually left with an abysmal conversion rate of around 6%. That is certainly befitting of the tag Keys gave him three years ago.
Since leaving, he has actually been in pretty handy form. So far this term, the veteran has scored six goals in 12 games for FC Twente in the Netherlands. He's comfortably outscoring every player back at Old Trafford.
It's funny how quickly things can change in football, isn't it?
Man Utd must cash in on their new Weghorst
Since the fateful days of Weghorst, United haven't exactly been banging in the goals with any great regularity.
That's largely because of the centre-forwards they have signed. Rasmus Hojlund joined in a £72m deal but has already departed English football after scoring just 26 times in 95 appearances.
rasmus hojlund
Benjamin Sesko and Joshua Zirkzee have also joined. The jury remains out on the former but for Zirkzee, it is surely time that United cash in now.
He cost the Old Trafford side £36.5m in 2024 and while he may not have cost quite as much as Hojlund, he has certainly been an incredibly poor signing.
There hasn't been a single time in the Dutchman's time in Manchester that he has looked convincing. Indeed, this is a player with nine goals in 79 matches and 2,971 minutes of football. That means he is only scoring once every nine outings and once every 330 minutes.
To make matters worse, his conversion rate is right up there with Weghorst's. Last term, the 25-year-old only put home 8% of his chances. As a result, patience is wearing thin with the former Bologna man.
He was widely expected to leave in the summer but ended up staying. That's a decision that benefitted neither party. Zirkzee has played just 20 minutes in the league this term and his performance off the bench against Brighton during their Carabao Cup defeat last midweek would appear to be the final straw for fans.
In that match, he played the final 24 minutes and had just 17 touches. He lost the ball ten times, didn't complete either of his two dribbles and had just one shot. Unsurprisingly, that was off target.
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Zirkzee vs Brighton
Minutes played
Touches
Accurate passes
Dribbles
Possession lost
Shots
Shots on target
Key passes
Crosses
Duels won
It was such a laboured performance, one that lacked any sort of invention and one that lacked any sort of threat.
United are far better with either Sesko or Bryan Mbeumo leading the line, and as a consequence, it may finally be time to cut their losses.
If he leaves next summer, Zirkzee will have cost United £53m when you combine his transfer fee and yearly salary. They will not sell him for anything remotely close to that when the time comes for him to depart.
REUTERS/Cathal Mcnaughton
If the player has any sense, he will seek an exit in January instead. However, it shouldn't just be the player forcing himself out, United should already have him up for sale. United have only played seven times this season but we have seen enough of Zirkzee.
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