Manchester United ‘close’ to deal for Burnley outcast and World Cup hero Wout Weghorst as Dutchman bids farewell to Besiktas fans

World Cup hero Wout Weghorst has seemingly said his goodbyes to Besiktas ahead of a loan move to Manchester United from Burnley.

The Netherlands striker was seen bidding farewell to fans of the Istanbul giants, with reports out of France claiming Old Trafford could be his next stop.

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Well-respected journalist reports that Erik ten Hag is happy to trust his countryman as a forward option for the remainder of the season, making up for the departure of Cristiano Ronaldo.

They also report that there is ‘good progress’ being made on a deal which is ‘almost complete’.

The 30-year-old joined Burnley from German side Wolfsburg last January in a £12million move that saw him score two goals in 20 games.

The Clarets were unable to avoid relegation from the Premier League, and had to move Weghorst’s wages on, with Turkish powerhouses Besiktas taking the player on loan for the season.

However, it now seems Weghorst will last just half that length in Istanbul, before making the move to Manchester.

The reaction of the striker and Besiktas’ fans further suggested a departure is coming, with emotional scenes after his goal in a 2-1 league win over Kasimpasa.

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Weghorst shared a moment with the supporters after scoring the match-winner, and later went over to them at full-time.

Despite his ill-fated spell at Burnley, the Dutch striker stunned global audiences at the 2022 World Cup with an incredible quarter-final brace.

Facing eventual champions Argentina in the last eight, the Netherlands found themselves 2-0 down and heading out.

However, Weghorst was a game-changer, coming on with 12 minutes to play before cutting the deficit, and later sending the game to extra-time with a jaw-dropping free kick routine in the 11th minute of stoppage time.

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Louis van Gaal's men were eventually sent home in the shoot-out, but the match served as a reminder of Weghorst’s talent as a regular goalscorer in the Eredivisie and Bundesliga.

In 15 games for Besiktas, Wghorst has found the back of the net seven times.