Manchester United are not expected to sign on-loan Burnley striker Wout Weghorst on a permanent deal this summer, a report has claimed.
The Dutchman arrived at Old Trafford on a six-month deal in January after Burnley and Besiktas agreed to terminate his loan in Turkey.
The 30-year-old was signed as temporary cover following Cristiano Ronaldo’s departure in November.
“I am very pleased with him, he is doing extremely well,” Ten Hag told ESPN NL.
“He plays his role very well. We’ve scored more as a team since he arrived. He knows his role very well and he fills it in very well.”
Man Utd to ‘pull plug’ on Weghorst deal
However, Football Insider report that United won’t try to sign Weghorst on a permanent deal at the end of the season.
The news may come as a surprise to some fans following Ten Hag’s comments after United’s 3-0 win over Leicester on Sunday.
The 52-year-old told Sky Sports and MUTV that his side are a better team when he is in it.
He stated: “He defends, he recovers balls, he presses. In the second half, we were better at pressing and he is the first to do it, he does it very well.
“I think he brings a lot to the team. From the moment he came, the attacking line is more dynamic and even better at pressing. So I think we improved our game from the moment he came in.”
When asked last month if he thought there was a chance that he could stay longer at United, Weghorst replied: “Of course. The situation now is how it was – it was for a loan. It’s a massive club so I will try to do everything as good as I can, and if it will work out it will be a good option.”
However, Ten Hag is thought to be after a long-term replacement for Ronaldo in the summer, with Napoli’s Victor Osimhen being identified as a potential target.
The Nigerian is the second top scorer in Europe this season behind Erling Haaland, and has attracted interest from United, Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain.
#Man #Utd #player #set #leave #club #summer #Erik #ten #Hag #praise