Man United CONFIRM the loan signing of Weghorst until the end of the season

Manchester United have confirmed the signing of Wout Weghorst on loan until the end of the 2022-2023 season.

Sportsmail reported earlier this week that a deal had been reached between the two clubs but there was still some uncertainty over the payment.

However, United have paid the £2.5million compensation fee straight to Besiktas rather than Burnley to secure his services for the rest of the season. The club hoped to have him registered in time for the Manchester derby on Saturday - but Erik ten Hag has revealed he will not appear in the huge clash.

However, United fans can look forward to having a new forward in their ranks after the announcement was made on Friday night.

Weghorst scored nine goals in 18 games for Besiktas after joining the Turkish side on loan from Burnley in January 2022.

His last goal came on Saturday and he appeared to celebrate by waving goodbye to the club's fans ahead of his move to Manchester United.

The 30-year-old is looking to redeem himself in the Premier League after scoring just twice in 20 games following his move to Turf Moor.

Burnley fans were understandably disappointed with Weghorst's contribution during the 2021-2022 campaign, when he registered just 30 shots on target and missed six big chances.

He also gave away 30 fouls, picked up three yellow cards and was caught offside nine times. As a result, Weghorst was unable to stop Burnley from being relegated from the English top-flight.

However, Manchester United have afforded Weghorst an opportunity to prove his worth to the English fans by signing him on loan until the end of the current campaign.

Erik ten Hag is hoping Weghorst will strength his attacking line and fill the void that has been left by Cristiano Ronaldo's departure.

Ronaldo's position at the club became untenable after he criticised the club, the Glazers, manager Erik ten Hag and his team-mates in a bombshell interview with Piers Morgan.

United want to deal with the situation quickly. They agreed to terminate the 37-year-old's contract and released a statement which read: 'Cristiano Ronaldo is to leave Manchester United by mutual agreement, with immediate effect.

'The club thanks him for his immense contribution across two spells at Old Trafford, scoring 145 goals in 346 appearances, and wishes him and his family well for the future.

'Everyone at Manchester United remains focused on continuing the team's progress under Erik ten Hag and working together to deliver success on the pitch.'

United are expecting big things from Weghorst as the 30-year-old has been excelling for Besiktas this season.

He has scored eight goals in 16 appearances and is the player with the most expected goals (9.8), most touches in the opposition box (118) and the most shots on target (23).

Weghorst's height will come in handy for the Red Devils. Standing at 6ft 5in, his height will give United an advantage when it comes to set-pieces and crosses into the box.

The 30-year-old is also known for his work-rate. He is relentless in the press and wins the ball high up the pitch. During the 2021-2022 Premier League campaign, Weghorst averaged around four ball recoveries per 90, an impressive tally for a forward.

Weghorst is also dangerous in and around the penalty area. He has a track record of scoring goals from this position and is even referred to as a 'goal poacher'.

Weghorst found the back of the net 70 times in 144 games for Wolfsburg and 45 times in 86 games for AZ Alkmaar - but his Burnley struggles continue to loom over him.

The 30-year-old has also proven he can be an impact sub after coming close to ending Lionel Messi's World Cup dream when the Netherlands faced Argentina in the quarter-finals of the competition in Qatar.

Argentina were leading the game 2-0 when Weghorst was brought on. With just 12 minutes to go, the 30-year-old scored twice to level the score. As a result, the game went to penalties before Argentina emerged victorious.