Everton are plotting a surprise summer swoop to bring Burnley striker Wout Weghorst to Goodison Park, according to reports.
Is Wout Weghorst leaving Burnley?
The Netherlands international arrived at Turf Moor from Wolfsburg back in January 2022 but he’s always been out of favour and has spent most of his time away from Lancashire having carried out two loan spells, the first with Besiktas and most recently Premier League rivals Manchester United, during his time with his parent club.
The Clarets forward still has another two years remaining on his contract with Vincent Kompany’s side, though a future with them seems highly unlikely considering he’s never been given a real chance to prove himself, therefore meaning that he could be on the move during the upcoming window.
The Red Devils didn’t have the option to buy the 30-year-old included as part of their agreement, but when Erik Ten Hag was asked whether he could in his long-term plans, the manager replied “of course”, though an update has now emerged contrary to claims and one that appears to have alerted Sean Dyche at Goodison Park.
Are Everton signing Weghorst?
According to talkSPORT, Everton are "interested" in signing Weghorst ahead of the 2023/24 campaign. Man United actually "do not plan" to make a permanent move for the striker following his disappointing loan spell so he is set to stage his return to Burnley, but it's worth noting that he has been identified as a potential target on Merseyside.
Should Everton make a bid for Weghorst?
Everton will know that they have to sign a new centre-forward this summer given the consistent injuries to Dominic Calvert-Lewin so Weghorst could have been an alternative, but having failed to make any kind of positive impact at Man United, Dyche should avoid this move at all costs.
The 6 foot 6 giant, who earns £35k-per-week, only managed to score two goals during his time at Old Trafford, none of which were in the top-flight, and according to journalist Josh Bunting, he “isn’t good enough” to be playing in the Premier League, while Dutch legend Ruud Gullit also shares that sentiment.
The World Cup participant was also only averaging 0.8 shots per league game under Ten Hag and ranked as the Dutchman’s 20th overall worst-performing player out of 25 squad members, via WhoScored, so whilst the club’s budget is expected to be limited, they should be aiming for a striker who's at a much higher level than Weghorst.
