Ferdinand tells Man Utd to sign £53m striker over Weghorst and recommends summer signing

Football365.com – LONDON, Rio Ferdinand has made a last-minute striker recommendation as Man Utd reportedly close in on the signing of Wout Weghorst.

The Netherlands international is on loan at Besiktas from Championship side Burnley with a report yesterday claiming he is ‘on his way’ to Man Utd.

Weghorst has scored eight goals and provided four assists in 16 matches for the Turkish club this season, while he climbed off the bench to score two goals in four substitute appearances for the Netherlands at the World Cup.

Besiktas want compensation before allowing Weghorst to go back to Burnley and the Turkish side claimed yesterday that there is no break clause in their loan agreement.

A statement from the club read: “The claim that there is an exit clause in our player’s contract, stating that his contract can be terminated with a compensation of 2.5 million euros (£2.2million) in case of an offer from the Premier League, is fictitious.

“The news that the player in question will leave the team on Tuesday is completely untrue. The initiative regarding Wout Weghorst belongs entirely to Besiktas.”

Weghorst is still expected to seal a deal to Old Trafford but Ferdinand thinks Man Utd should go for Porto striker Mehdi Taremi – who has a £53m release clause in his contract – instead with the Iran international contributing 14 goals and seven assists in 20 matches in all competitions this term.

When asked about Weghorst potentially joining the Red Devils on loan, Ferdinand told his Vibe with Five YouTube channel: “I’d have gone and got Taremi in from Porto.”