It looks like Erik ten Hag is about to complete his eighth signing for Manchester United as Burnley FC striker Wout Weghorst has reportedly agreed terms to join on loan until the end of the season.
The Dutchman was already loaned out to Turkish side Beşiktaş after joining the Lancashire club back in January 2022, scoring just two goals and three assists in 20 appearances for the Clarets.
Nevertheless, since flying east following Burnley’s relegation back to the Championship in his debut season, Weghorst has grabbed eight goals and four assists in 16 games and also bagged an important brace to take the Netherlands to penalties in the 2022 World Cup quarter-finals.
Enjoying a much improved season on loan and following his late heroics in Qatar, the six-foot-six forward’s stock has risen and given the obvious Dutch connection, clearly caught ten Hag’s eye. As always, leading transfer source Fabrizio Romano was one of the first to break the news.
Wout Weghorst to Manchester United, here we go! All conditions revealed on Tuesday are confirmed: Man Utd pay €3m to Besiktas then sign Weghorst on loan from Burnley 🚨🔴 #MUFC
🛫 Understand Weghorst will fly to Manchester today to undergo medical tests and then sign contracts. pic.twitter.com/99TPoRuo67
According to The Athletic, the Red Devils have secured the former Bundesliga and Burnley striker’s services after paying a £2.5 million termination fee to release him from his existing loan contract with Beşiktaş.
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Said to be flying to Manchester today, though unlikely, the question is now whether he will be registered in time for the Manchester derby.
United kicked off the January transfer window by replacing their back-up for David de Gea after Slovakian Martin Dúbravka was recalled by his parent club, Newcastle United, bringing in former Stoke and Palace Jack Butland instead – also on loan until the end of the season.
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More pressingly, ten Hag’s team were obviously made one lighter in attacking areas in the wake of Cristiano Ronaldo’s very public fallout and departure from Old Trafford, so an offensive signing will no doubt come as good news to most Reds.
On the other hand, many have questioned whether signing another striker on the wrong side of 30, not to mention having struggled to prove himself in the Premier League, is the right move in the market.
I'm sure there'll be plenty of Twitter rage about Wout Weghorst, but I think it's a sensible loan addition & gives #MUFC something different without compromising philosophy. He kept some good players out of the Netherlands World Cup squad. Not an exciting move but understandable. pic.twitter.com/cwjYePDC6G
One thing I would say about Weghorst is if Ten Hag wants him, then I trust him.
He's earned that trust with the signings he's made, the change in mentality he's created, the momentum he's built at United. Weghorst seems to fit the profile of character Ten Hag wants at United. pic.twitter.com/pmS33BZcNk
Speaking to BBC Sport, former first-team coach and scout René Meulensteen said of Weghorst: “He is different, that is why Erik ten Hag is bringing him in.”
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He offers something else that the other Manchester United forwards don’t have – but I don’t think he will be a starter every game”, according to Meulensteen, adding that believes “ten Hag knows what he is doing, for sure”.
While Weghorst will clearly be a short-term stop-gap who will be utilised as a more old-school, big centre-forward, United will obviously be looking to bring in further names in attacking positions as well as the other areas that suit the bigger picture.
However, former right-back Gary Neville believes that ten Hag’s apparent new salary cap could jeopardise the club’s chances when it comes to going after their primary targets.
Stockport County’s playoff fortunes hampered following Callum Camps injury
Danny Jones
Stockport County’s luck as we head into the crunch time period has taken a less than ideal turn as Callum Camps is confirmed to be injured.
The club now has a clearer idea of how long he’ll be out for, but it’s not great news.
Camps was subbed off in just the 21st minute during County‘s recent away clash with title contenders Wrexham after a full-blooded tackle by fellow midfielder George Dobson – a challenge which went unpunished on the day, much to the frustration of the travelling fans.
Speaking to BBC Radio Manchester on Friday, 28 March, manager Dave Challinor revealed that the physios expect him to be out for “at least 6 weeks”, meaning he’ll likely miss the rest of the season.
🔵 Stockport midfielder Callum Camps is out for at least 6 weeks. #StockportCounty
As one of County’s most crucial and experienced players, his presence in the middle of the park is likely to be a big miss, especially with the playoff scraps looming large for the promotion hopefuls.
Challinor acknowledged that it’s a big blow not only for the club but the Tameside-born Northern Ireland international, cutting a quietly frustrated figure in his interview and giving away little regarding Camps’ current mentality besides his obvious “disappointment.”
At 29 years old and running out of contract this summer, the injury will no doubt bring an added pressure regarding his future as well, though you would suspect most Stopfordians would like to see him stay at Edgeley Park come 2025/26 if possible.
Not only a reliable operator in the engine room but also considered by plenty of fans as one of their best players this season, there’ll be lots of Hatters worrying how much of an impact this will have on how this year’s League One conclusion pans out.
Even with prior fitness issues in recent years, he’s still managed to make an impact and work his way back into the first-choice matchday squad, and many believe he should be more of a mainstay on the teamsheet for his national team.
Callum Camps was just sublime today and made the difference when he came on. If he’d have been fit more often he’d be right up there as one of our players of the season, he’s been right at it whenever he’s played. https://t.co/7oMZYutCCp
— The Stockport County Shirt Collection (@countyshirts) February 15, 2025
To make matters worse, he’s not the only one set to watch the remaining games from the sidelines, as defender Ryan Rydel also looks set to be out for the next few weeks.
Following an injury suffered at Bolton Wanderers the week prior to the Wrexham game, the Oldham-born left-back who had made 15 appearances for County this season – half of those as an increasingly regular young member of the starting XI – a hamstring problem looks to have cut his campaign short too.
With just over half a dozen league fixtures left, it’ll be interesting to see how they’ll fare if they stay within the playoff places as predicted.
It’s been a frustrating few months for Stockport as they also had to bid a reluctant goodbye to rising star and high-flying loanee Louie Barry, who was recalled by his parent club Aston Villa only for him to be loaned out to Hull City and end up getting injured himself.
When it rains, it pours, as they say.
Infuriating Dobson was allowed to get away with that pretty much for free and now we'll be without a key player for the rest of the season.
The 2025 Manchester Marathon is set to create the UK’s biggest-ever day of running
Danny Jones
The 2025 Manchester Marathon is just a month away now and as this year’s race is once again set to coincide with another major event (quite literally), it’s about to become the biggest day of runningin UK history.
Like, ever…
Greater Manchester is no stranger to making sporting history, be it athletics, football, tennis or otherwise – you name it, we can lay our claim to plenty.
However, stuff like this always makes us feel part of something truly ‘greater’ and genuinely special as the tens of thousands preparing to run through the city centre and surrounding areas are about to put us in the record books in the running world.
Credit: Manchester Marathon
As more than 36,000 racers, joggers, fundraisers and downright legends are scheduled to take on the Manchester Marathon this year – with the annual event on course to break its attendance record – even more will be taking on the equivalent down south, given it is one of the official World Majors.
Recently, the Manchester and London Marathons have been colliding, and with the 2025 editions of both due to take place on the same day for the second year in a row, it means there’ll be an unprecedented number of participants taking on the 26.2-mile challenge.
More accurately, it’s predicted that over 90,000 runners will be out on the roads of the nation’s capital and its second city (yeah, you heard us, Birmingham), which will be the greatest concurrent number in British history – at least on record when it comes to marathons.
The potential milestones don’t stop with just those taking part, either; as per an official press release from the event time, it’s predicted to be a record-breaking day for charity too.
An estimated £80m is set to be raised for charitable causes, including the adidas Manchester Marathon charity partners: the British Heart Foundation, Alzheimer’s Society, The Christie and Cancer Research UK. Incredible stuff.
In one month you’ll be making your way to the 2025 adidas Manchester Marathon start line!📢
We are buzzing – are you? Comment the GIF that best describes how you are feeling one month out ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/1ioROLfejW
Commenting on what will be a historic day for UK Marathons, Andrew Smith, CEO of A.S.O. UK, said: “Having the adidas Manchester Marathon and the London Marathon take place on the same day — Sunday 27th April — marks a landmark moment for British running.
“We’re incredibly proud to be part of this historic occasion, inspiring 90,000 people to take on 26.2 miles, supported by nearly a million spectators across the country.
As if all this wasn’t already momentous enough, nearly a million spectators are expected to line the streets to cheer on all the PB hopefuls and fundraisers – we can only hope for similarly groundbreaking crowds and levels of support to mark the occasion.
Danny Jones -
12th January 2023 
