Erik ten Hag has made a career out of being successful with target men strikers.
For Marnix Kolder, who played for Go Ahead Eagles in Ten Hag’s first coaching job, his role was clear. “I was the ‘escape,’ when the ball was pressured at the back, the long ball from the keeper or the central defender came to me,” Kolder told The Independent last year. “I don’t know the word in English – a coat stand? The ‘kapstok’. It’s a typical word in Dutch. The big person they can play the balls to, then you play to the midfielders or to the side.”
Ten Hag achieved promotion from the Dutch second tier with that side and the theme of a having a big man up top has continued at every club he has managed. At Utrecht he worked with Sebastian Haller, at Ajax he worked with Klaas Jan-Huntelaar, Kasper Dolberg and Brian Brobbey and towards the end had a reunion with Haller again.
It is therefore no surprise that he’s willing to sign Wout Weghorst, despite the 30-year-old’s well-documented struggles as he scored just twice in 20 appearances with relegated Burnley last season.
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Starting this season on loan at Besiktas in the Turkish Super Lig, Weghorst has also racked up eight goals and four assists in 18 appearances. His underlying numbers have been impressive too, scoring the eight goals from an expected goals figure of 9.8, according to Opta.
But this form is not the only reason Manchester United have paid £2.5m to loan Weghorst for the rest of the season.
United’s owners announced in late November that they were “exploring strategic alternatives” to further enhance the club’s growth, which could include new investment or a complete sale, reducing the likelihood of big splurges in the January window.
Targets like Cody Gakpo and Joao Felix have also been snapped up and others like Memphis Depay and Marcus Thuram would demand greater financial commitment.
So Weghorst has entered the scene as a last-minute wildcard but could prove to be an excellent short-term option for Ten Hag and co.
Availability of players is key during a full league season and in that regard, Anthony Martial has struggled to rack up consistent playing time, featuring in only 27 per cent of the team’s total minutes. And although he has largely been a positive whenever he is on the pitch, Ten Hag is keen to ease the load of minutes on the Frenchman, hence the need for a dependable new forward.
Before Burnley and Besiktas, Weghorst established himself in the Bundesliga with Wolfsburg. There, the Dutch international made his name as a high-quality striker with ability on and off the ball.
In three and a half seasons with Wolfsburg, he scored 53 league goals in 118 appearances. In addition to his goals though, Weghorst also racked up first-rate defensive numbers in the Bundesliga which followed in a similar vein at Burnley.
Speaking to Wolfsburger Allgemeine, club legend Grafite said: “Wout is great, I love the way he plays – it reminds me of Edin [Dzeko]. He’s focused, he’s got technique, he’s got power – I like it.”
Against Wolves last season, Weghorst attempted the most pressures of any player in a single Premier League match, according to Statsbomb, underlining his desire to press and harass opposition defenders without the ball.
In possession, Weghorst will provide a unique profile in attack for United – wide attackers and defenders will now have an effective aerial target to look for when crossing into the box. Weghorst’s height makes him a danger inside the penalty area but can also make him an important player in defensive set-piece situations as well.
At Burnley, under Sean Dyche and later Mike Jackson, Weghorst had a great amount of responsibility in possession but at United he will not have to see as much of the ball. Instead, he will be the last line of attack, leading United’s press out of possession and threatening the opposition in their penalty area with his ability to occupy centre-backs and in turn create space for his team-mates to arrive into the box.
Although his first spell in the Premier League ended on poor terms, this is as good a time to be joining United as ever. The team has maintained an unbeaten start since returning to action from the World Cup and the mood is positive. An addition like Weghorst, in the short-term at least, can only serve to improve that.
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