Besiktas confirm how much Man Utd paid to sign Wout Weghorst
By Tom Gott
Turkish side Besiktas have confirmed they received €2.825m in compensation after agreeing to terminate Wout Weghorst's loan from Burnley.
The Dutchman was on a season-long loan in Turkey when Manchester United came calling, with the Red Devils eventually striking a deal to bring Weghorst to Old Trafford to see out the remaining six months of his loan.
As 90min revealed earlier this month, Burnley were happy to send Weghorst to United but informed the Red Devils they would be responsible for compensating Besiktas, who had the option to buy the striker permanently and so had to agree to terminating his contract early.
Confirming his departure, Besiktas revealed: "Due to the early termination of the contract by Burnley, a termination fee of €2.825m will be paid to our Company."
United are covering Weghorst's wages for the remainder of his loan contract but do not have the option to make the deal permanent at the end of the season.
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Manager Erik ten Hag had been keen to recruit a new striker following the departure of Cristiano Ronaldo earlier in the winter and he voiced his delight at getting a deal for Weghorst over the line.
“He is a striker and we had an open position there to fill in,” Ten Hag told club media. “I think in the balance of the offensive [players], he really fits in. I am really happy and I don't think we had the type what he is.
“Most importantly, he can score goals from everywhere and he was always a surprise at every club in every league. That is also what I expect here. For here, I expect a team player and someone who can link up, a player who will do his defending work and we are really happy to sign him.''