09 January 2023 , 06:30
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Manchester United's hopes of landing a new striker could be boosted by Cristiano Ronaldo just weeks after the Portuguese superstar quit Old Trafford.
Ronaldo, 37, only left United last month after agreeing to tear up the final six months of his contract during the World Cup and recently put pen to paper on a lucrative deal with Saudi Arabia outfit Al-Nassr.
His exit means Erik ten Hag is desperate to add to his attacking options this month, with former Burnley striker Wout Weghorst emerging as a shock target over the weekend. But sealing a deal for the 30-year-old, who is currently on loan at Besiktas, is proving to be anything but straightforward.
Besiktas are reluctant to lose Weghorst and would require both compensation and a replacement forward in order to allow the Clarets to cut their agreement short in order to send the Dutch striker on to Old Trafford - and such a move could lead to the Turkish giants moving for a familiar face.
The Athletic report that former Besiktas striker Vincent Aboubakar could be on his way back to the Turkish Super Lig outfit if Weghorst departs. The 30-year-old, who scored 35 goals in 57 outings across two spells for the club, is currently on the books at Al-Nassr but is being courted by Besiktas and is expected to move on following Ronaldo's arrival.
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If Al-Nassr, as expected, do allow Aboubakar to quit after acquiring Ronaldo, then the former United man could have inadvertently aided Ten Hag in his pursuit to snare Weghorst.
A move for Weghorst fits the bill for United, who are only in the market for loan deals this month after splashing out in excess of £200million back in the summer.
Join the debate! Do you think Weghorst would be a good signing for Man Utd this month? Let us know here.
Vincent Aboubakar could return to Besiktas following Ronaldo's switch to Al-Nassr (Getty Images)Although the striker struggled to make an impact in the Premier League after joining Burnley last January, he did catch the eye at the World Cup, where he bagged two goals in the Netherlands' quarter-final defeat against Argentina. He has also netted 10 times in 21 outings for Besiktas this season.
Despite the fact that both United and Weghorst are eager to seal a deal, Besiktas sporting director Ceyhun Kazancı outlined over the weekend that the club, who hold an option to purchase Weghorst permanently for €10million (£8.8m) at the end of the season, will not give up his services without a fight.
As quoted by Fanatik, he said: "He is our football player right now. Our contract expires at the end of the season.
"If Manchester United or any other team wants Wegnorst, they will meet with Burnley anyway. Burnley will then contact us and discuss the terms of separation. If we accept, the contract will be terminated. Otherwise, it will go on until the end of the season. He can’t just go. There will have to be a reward for us to approve the separation."