Erik ten Hag’s favorite Manchester United player was labeled “not good enough,” while a Liverpool star was criticized for believing he was better than he actually was.
Manchester United was obligated to research the striker market in January as a result of Cristiano Ronaldo’s premature exit. Many ʀᴜᴍᴏʀs surrounded Cody Gakpo, but Liverpool pounced to sᴜʀᴘʀɪsᴇ Manchester United.
However, it seemed quite unlikely that the Red Devils would ever make a substantial buy during the winter season. At the end of the season, their ʀᴇᴀʟ objective was to sign a temporary substitute rather than go after an elite-level frontman.
Ten Hag went to Burnley’s Wout Weghorst after his loan agreement with Besiktas was canceled.
The Dutch international has received numerous favors from his management, and as a result, he has made 18 appearances thus far, with the majority of them being starts.
Despite Marcus Rashford’s recent adjustment to the center position, Weghorst has not been ejected from the starting lineup. In ꜰᴀᴄᴛ, Weghorst climbs one spot to No. 10 when Rashford ascends to the top.
His management obviously has faith in him, but his underwhelming goal total has raised questions.
In 18 games, he has only scored twice, and even the most recent international break, he continued to be sloppy in front of goal.
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With nine shots this week versus Gibraltar, Weghorst’s xG statistic was 2.16. Weghorst faced the 200th-ranked team in the world, which also had 10 players left as of the 51st minute, but was unable to score.
The Netherlands won 3-0 thanks to goals from Man City’s Nathan Ake and Memphis Depay. Center back Ake and Weghorst are currently equal for the Netherlands’ most goals with five each.
Ruud Gullit, a legendary Dutchman, expressed his disgust at what he saw from Weghorst after the victory.
According to Gullit on Ziggo Sport, Weghorst, 30, always has a “strange expression” in his eyes and occasionally exhibits flaws in his performance.
According to the Daily Mail, he continued, “I have a lot of respect for him. But I also think he lacks the talent to represent both the Oranje and Manchester United (the Dutch national team).
Man Utd in ꜰɪɢʜᴛ with Chelsea over Gregor Kobel’s signature
Although David de Gea has been one of the most consistent performers for the Red Devils so far this term, it has been suggested that Erik ten Hag is looking to sign a long-term successor for the 32-year-old. The Dutchman wants to bring in a new goalkeeper who is comfortable on the ball and can play out from the back, along with being a top shot-stopper.
A few players have been linked with a move to Old Trafford ahead of the summer window with Diogo Costa and David Raya being among them. However, it appears Kobel is also on the record Premier League champions’ radar.
Man Utd are in talks with De Gea about a new contract, the Mirror reported, but the Red Devils are also interested in signing Kobel to compete with the Spaniard for a starting position. De Gea’s current deal expires at the end of this season.
According to the report, if Dortmund is forced to sell this summer, Kobel’s release clause could be at least £35 million, which would allow United to sign the 25-year-old for a fair price. Kobel still has more than three years left on his current contract.
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Kobel won’t be simple for Ten Hag’s team to acquire, according to Mirror, as Chelsea are also planning a swoop for him this summer.
It has been reported that Chelsea is looking to replace Edouard Mendy with a new goalkeeper. The Senegal international reportedly wants to leave Stamford Bridge at the conclusion of this campaign after struggling to secure a spot in the starting lineup after Graham Potter was appointed as the team’s new manager.
In 18 Bundesliga appearances this season, Kobel has had a standout season at Signal Iduna Park, keeping eight clean sheets while recording an astounding 77% save rate per game.
The German, who is 6 feet 3 inches tall, is adept at playing out from the back, a fantastic shot-blocker, an expert at saving penalties, and he can also fill the role of sweeper-keeper. Therefore, if Chelsea or Manchester United can work out a deal, he would be a fantastic addition.
