- Manchester United finally have Wout Weghorst as its player for the remainder of the season
- Weghorst is joining from Burnley on loan for the rest of the current campaign
- SportsLeo looks at the shirt numbers that Weghorst is highly expected to wear at his time in Old Trafford
Following the completion of a loan agreement with Burnley, Wout Weghorst will play for Manchester United for the balance of 2022–2023. The enormous Dutch striker scored eight Super Lig goals while on loan at Besiktas in Turkey during the first half of the season.
Weghorst steps in to fill the vacuum left at Old Trafford by Cristiano Ronaldo’s abrupt departure in November, and he has the potential to be a key player for a young club lacking in depth up front.
The 30-year-old is not a youngster, and his Premier League statistics—two goals in 20 games for Burnley—are not exactly commendable. However, it is important to keep in mind that Wolfsburg had a much better record in the Bundesliga than Burnley, where they were facing relegation, and he scored 20 league goals in his final full season in Germany in 2020–21.
Wout Weghorst has been unveiled as a Manchester United player but is yet to be handed a shirt number. | PHOTO: Sky Sports |
In addition to overall protection, Weghorst will provide United with a unique perspective that could prove to be a crucial advantage in the fight for a top-four finish and a return to the Champions League.
The number seven shirt that Ronaldo left open is the most apparent option Weghorst has at United. Considering that the Portuguese player has already joined Chelsea and was dismissed from the club, rumours that it had been offered to Joao Felix are also no longer relevant.
In the last 20 years, only Edinson Cavani has lived up to the high expectations placed on the seven shirt at United; Angel Di Maria, Memphis Depay, and Alexis Sanchez all struggled, while Antonio Valencia swiftly swapped digits and Michael Owen was already past it.
Weghorst has consistently occupied striker-typical shirt numbers throughout his career. He wore nine at AZ Alkmaar, Burnley, and Wolfsburg, and he recently donned 10 at Besiktas. Additionally, he has a history of donning the number 19 while competing for his club and country, most recently with the Netherlands at the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
New Manchester United striker Wout Weghorst wore shirt number 10 while at Besiktas. | PHOTO: Liga |
Unfortunately for him, Old Trafford already has nine, 19, and 10 taken.
If he stays away from number seven, which seems plausible, United’s open shirt numbers are 13, 15, and 24.
Although the number 13 is traditionally associated with goalkeeper shirts, Park Ji-sung is notable for wearing it at United as an outfield shirt. Andreas Pereira, who permanently departed the club for Fulham last year, wore the number 15, and Timothy Fosu-Mensah wore the number 24 most recently.
You must be logged in to post a comment Login