Premier League English

Dutch legend quips Manchester United’s pursuit of Wout Weghorst ‘must be a stunt’

Dutch legend Wesley Sneijder has delivered an unflattering verdict on the Red Devils’ pursuit of Wout Weghorst.

Currently on loan at Besiktas, the tall striker has turned out allegedly to be a hot target for United who are apparently pushing to seal a move for the Dutchman this month as they look to bolster their options up front following Cristiano Ronaldo’s departure. Really?

The club are apparently looking forward to reach an agreement with Burnley and Besiktas over terminating his current loan, although the Turkish side are said to be insistent on not allowing the forward to leave.

Despite managing just two goals in 20 Premier League appearances for Burnley last season, Weghorst has since gone up a gear up in his goalscoring form for Besiktas and actually even scored twice for the Netherlands in the final minutes of their World Cup quarter-final defeat to Argentina in Qatar, with the second of those goals coming from a clever last free-kick tactic employed by Netherlands gaffer Louis Van Gaal to send the match to extra-time. However Sneijder has issued warning in advance that Premier League sides are already privy to that stunt and will be ready for whatever Weghorst has to offer in that area of poaching aerial goals.

“I think they’ve seen the trick with the free kick (against Argentina at the World Cup), so they don’t fall for that in England anymore,” Sneijder told VP.

“In terms of a striker, is he really someone United are waiting for? I don’t think so.

“They still have 300 of those in the Premier League. It must be a stunt. This really can’t be true.”