Erik ten Hag has landed the striker he has been looking for, and Wout Weghorst is a terrific fit for what he wants.
Back in the summer there was speculation Ten Hag could return to swoop on Ajax for Sebastien Haller, The Sun reported. And while this was speculative, it made a lot of sense.
Haller was an excellent fit for Ten Hag’s system, so much so, that Ten Hag signed him for Ajax after previously managing him at Utrecht.
But while Haller headed to Borussia Dortmund for £29 million, Ten Hag had to bide his time. Wout Weghorst may simply be a stop-gap, the Dutchman has everything the manager wants in a striker, and could even earn a longer deal.
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Ten Hag has signed his new Sebastien Haller
The most striking aspect of Wout Weghorst’s game is his height. He stands at a lengthy 6ft 6″ tall, an imposing figure for defenders to attempt to contain.
This appears to be a theme for Ten Hag, who utilised tall striker Haller as the focal point in his Ajax sides.
Haller is not as tall as Weghorst, he is 6 ft 3″, but he still possesses a sizeable presence, with his frame and long legs causing problems for defenders.
The Frenchman enjoyed incredible success under Erik ten Hag. Across spells for Utrecht and Ajax, Haller scored 87 goals in 147 matches.
Speaking to AD after Haller’s Ajax debut, Ten Hag explained: “He didn’t know five days ago that he was going to Ajax and has only trained twice. But you saw his huge impact on the squad. He also let his fellow players play better football.”
Ten Hag has been looking for this type of forward. Back in the summer there was confusion when United pursued Bologna striker Marko Arnautovic.
There was a backlash against this from United fans, and a deal fell through. But it left many to wonder, why did Ten Hag want him? Clearly he had a plan, which supporters were not privy to.
Well, the Weghorst deal indicates the reasoning behind Ten Hag’s decision making. Arnautovic stands at 6ft 4″ tall.
Another striker linked with a move in the summer was Sasa Kalajdzic, Sky Sports reported. He is even taller than Weghorst, at 6ft 7″.
United were last week linked to Genk’s 6ft 7″ striker Paul Onuachu by French outlet Jeunes Footeaux. He may have become an alternative if the Weghorst deal had fallen through.
It is clear that Ten Hag feels his teams are better when there is a real target in attack, and in Weghorst, he has got his man.
The Dutchman is the prototypical centre-forward, who can play a bit too. Weghorst’s pressing statistics during his time at Burnley were among the best in the Premier League.
He can open up space for players around him, occupy defenders, and make the whole team better. Even if Weghorst is just paving the way for another permanent striker in the summer; in the short-term, he can have a major impact.
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