Manchester United set for Wout Weghorst loan deal after Burnley and Besiktas talks - Paper Round
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Updated 08/01/2023 at 12:02 GMT
Manchester United hope to land Burnley striker Wout Weghorst, on loan to Besiktas, for the rest of the season, while Aston Villa striker Danny Ings is interesting both Crystal Palace and Everton. Elsewhere, Chelsea are keen on Nice's Khephren Thuram, and his brother Marcus, who plays for Borussia Monchengladbach. Real Madrid are planning to add Jude Bellingham to their midfield.
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United in talks for Weghorst
The most surprising transfer of the January window could see Manchester United sign a striker from the Championship. That player is Burnley’s 30-year-old Dutch international striker, Wout Weghorst, who is currently on loan at Turkish side Besiktas. The Mirror reports that United are negotiating with both teams in order to secure his services for the rest of the season.
Paper Round’s view: Weghorst has been in decent form for Besiktas and scored for the Netherlands in the Qatar World Cup last year, so even if he is not a practical long-term signing, he is likely to arrive confident in front of goal, and with a little Premier League experience after his half-season with Burnley last year. But it is hard to think he is an adequate replacement for Cristiano Ronaldo.
Everton and Palace battle for Ings
The Sun reports that Everton and Crystal Palace are both keen on Danny Ings, with the 30-year-old not a starter under new Aston Villa boss Unai Emery. Palace would be keen to take the player on loan for the rest of the season or land him on a cheap transfer, while Everton - who are struggling for survival - would also be willing to fund a permanent move.
Paper Round’s view: Ings has continued to score this season and had looked set to finish the season with double figures, and that kind of reliability in front of goal, coupled with Premier League experience, could make him invaluable for a mid-table team like Palace or strugglers like Everton. At 30 this could be his last chance for a big contract, so he may be willing to move.
Chelsea keen on double Thuram swoop
Chelsea were earlier reported to be keen on Marcus Thuram, Borussia Monchengladbach’s 25-year-old striker who is out of contract at the end of the season, and the Mail reports it is unclear if the Bundesliga side is ready to do business this January, and the paper also states that Thuram’s 21-year-old brother, Khephren of Nice, could be a midfield alternative to Enzo Fernandez.
Paper Round’s view: Chelsea have unsettled Fernandez with their pursuit of the player but it is slightly unreasonable that once his head has turned, they have started to negotiate for a player who has an existing release clause. To that end, mentioning new targets is unlikely to change Benfica’s willingness to sell their star player midway through a season.
Real Madrid plan Bellingham signing
Spanish newspaper Marca reports on the plans at Real Madrid to overhaul their midfield. Casemiro left for Manchester United in the summer, and Toni Kroos is not yet certain on his future. Luka Modric wants to remain and that could still be accommodated, but Aurelien Tchouameni and Eduardo Camavinga are seen as the future. That leaves Jude Bellingham in line for a summer switch to complete a new trio.
Paper Round’s view: Tchouameni, Camavinga and Bellingham as one club’s central three is a remarkable combination if Florentino Perez is able to pull it off, and to do so without any fuss is a testament to the president’s impressive skills. Keeping Modric and perhaps Kroos too will also allow the youngsters to learn from more experienced players, and keep their squad depth.
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