Man Utd slated for ignoring ‘world-class’ striker and signing Wout Weghorst on same night | Football | Sport
Manchester United have been slammed for ignoring Napoli striker Victor Osimhen and instead pushing through a loan deal for Burnley striker Wout Weghorst. After Cristiano Ronaldo had his contract at Old Trafford terminated, boss Erik ten Hag made a striker signing a priority and the Red Devils swiftly moved for the Netherlands striker.
United paid a £2.7million fee to terminate Weghorst’s loan at Besiktas and then completed a deal for the 30-year-old to move to Manchester. However, while the United chiefs were wrapping up the deal on Friday, Osimhen scored twice in his side’s 5-1 demolition of Juventus that same night.
Ex-Liverpool midfielder Don Hutchinson has slated both United and his former side, as both clubs have ignored Osimhen who he rates at £150m, and instead signed Weghorst and Nunez. He claimed that if Ten Hag’s outfit want to get back to winning Premier League titles, Osimhen would be a signing that they should make in the summer.
“I promise Man United fans that this is not a dig, but on the night that he [Osimhen] scores two and the night that he tore Juve defenders to shreds, Man United spent £2.7million on Wout Weghorst,” Hutchinson told ESPN. “That tells you where United are at. That’s the sort of player that if they are serious, if they want to win the league again, that’s the sort of player they should be spending £150m on.
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Osimhen has scored 12 goals in 14 Serie A appearances as his brace against Juventus saw the Naples side move nine points clear at the top of the table, and the 24-year-old has been tipped with a move to the Premier League previously.
United could be in the market for a striker in the summer window but have been hampered by financial constraints this month in their search, as they ended up with Weghorst on loan until the end of the campaign.
The Red Devils will have one eye on Osimhen for the remainder of the season as they look ahead to the summer, but if Weghorst is a success on loan then there is a chance he could make his stay at Old Trafford a permanent one. The Dutchman is likely to make his debut on Wednesday, when Ten Hag’s side travel to Crystal Palace.
