Manchester United have signed Burnley striker Wout Weghorst on loan after the 30-year-old cut his loan at Besiktas short; United were desperate to sign a striker on loan during the January window after severing ties with Cristiano Ronaldo during the World Cup
Friday 13 January 2023 21:06, UK
Manchester United have signed striker Wout Weghorst on loan - but why was the Netherlands international so in demand?
United were desperate to sign a striker on loan during the January window after severing ties with Cristiano Ronaldo during the World Cup following the player's explosive interview with Piers Morgan in which he criticised the club and manager Erik ten Hag.
The 30-year-old striker scored twice for the Netherlands in the World Cup quarter-finals against eventual winners Argentina, with the second arguably being one of the most dramatic goals in the competition's history - levelling the scores from an inventive free-kick pass to send the game into extra-time.
The former Wolfsburg star has hit the ground running in Turkey, netting eight goals and registering four assists in 16 league games.
Those figures are a stark contrast to his returns in the Premier League with Burnley last term, when he netted only two goals in 20 games - but his broader play during that period provides clues to Ten Hag's current interest in the player.
The graphic below shows every shot and chance created by Weghorst at Burnley last term and reveals he fired shots on target only nine times from 25 attempts across his 20 appearances - equating to an eight-per-cent conversion rate or 728 minutes per goal.
However, the Netherlands frontman was leading the line in a struggling Burnley side - eventually succumbing to relegation after six successive years in the top-flight, with the club sacking long-term manager Sean Dyche in mid-April last year.
Ten Hag has frequently alluded to raising his side's intensity levels, both in the press and covering the hard yards.
The Dutch manager suffered a tough induction at the club, losing to Brighton on the opening day before suffering a shock 4-0 defeat to Brentford.
The Bees covered 13.8km more than United on the day, prompting Ten Hag to order his team to run that very same distance in training the following day.
It was widely believed Ronaldo's limited game-time under Ten Hag was due to the Portugal international's diminished returns in the press and running distances. In contrast, Weghorst excels in these areas.
The striker out-pressed every player in the division last term, averaging at 48.7 per game - pipping workhorses such as Pablo Fornals, Sean Longstaff and Dejan Kulusevski.
Those same names decorate the chart-topping elite for distance covered, with Weghorst's per-90 average of 10.69km ranking 24th out of all players that clocked in 680 minutes or more.
The towering 6ft 6ins striker also provides an aerial outlet to win possession, claim long balls and hold up play - linking overlapping speedsters down the wings.
The graphic below shows his overall contribution for Burnley last season and reveals how deep the striker sat, contributing with distribution and providing options across the pitch, while using his sizeable frame to make an above-average number of defensive actions in the middle third.
Indeed, the graphic below shows how nearly half of his passes were fired backwards in this holding role at Turf Moor, but the 30-year-old was also ambitious going upfield in almost equal measure - albeit, understandably, with less accuracy.
Finally, Weghorst's stature also provides considerable goal threat from set-pieces - something Ten Hag's side have lacked severely this term.
United have only netted four goals from set-pieces in the Premier League during this campaign. For context, only Everton have registered fewer, while Fulham have outgunned Ten Hag's side almost fourfold in this area.
You can tap the interactive tabs below to explore a raft of statistics which highlight how United have posed minimal threat from set plays, which is very likely due to diminished game-time for Ronaldo, prior to his departure, and centre-back Harry Maguire.
The chart below contextualises Weghorst's pressing, aerial and set-piece threat last season and places him among the likes of Ivan Toney, Ashley Barnes, Chris Wood and a fit Dominic Calvert-Lewin during that campaign - which is the perfect profile for Ten Hag's temporary fix.
Who will be on the move this winter? The January transfer window opened on Sunday January 1, 2023 and closes at 11pm on Tuesday January 31, 2023.
Keep up-to-date with all the latest transfer news and rumours in our dedicated Transfer Centre blog on Sky Sports' digital platforms. You can also catch up with the ins, outs and analysis on Sky Sports News.
