Manchester United have seen a number of strikers arrive as short-term solutions in recent years and one of them is now in red-hot form.
Manchester United now have two investments for the long term in attack.
Rasmus Hojlund arrived from Atalanta in 2023 before United returned to the Italian market to sign Joshua Zirkzee from Bologna last summer.
United coughed up around £100million to sign both Hojlund and Zirkzee, backing the duo to fulfil their huge potential at Old Trafford.
This has really brought an end to United’s tendency of signing short-term fixes in the final third.
Odion Ighalo, Edinson Cavani and even Cristiano Ronaldo spring to mind with United delaying and delaying investments in young strikers over the years.
Wout Weghorst in form at Ajax
Wout Weghorst was another example of that approach from United.
Fans were left surprised when United pounced to sign Weghorst on loan from Burnley in January 2023, cutting short his spell at Besiktas.
The giant Dutchman scored just twice in 31 games for United and wasn’t kept on permanently, paving the way for a loan move to Hoffenheim.
Weghorst has now returned to his native Netherlands, penning a two-year deal with Ajax back in August.
The 32-year-old has mostly been forced to make do with a place on the bench so far, but Weghorst is making his presence felt.
Ajax needed a hero as they were stuck at 2-2 against Heracles Almelo on Sunday having remarkably conceded from the halfway line.
Weghorst came off the bench and headed Ajax in front within five minutes, only for Ajax to concede again 10 minutes later.
Weghorst then stepped up to score a penalty late on, bagging a brace and handing Ajax all three points in a 4-3 victory.
That means that Weghorst has now bagged three goals and one assist in just 132 minutes of league action this season.
Weghorst is now pushing for a starting role at Ajax and will hope Sunday’s display sees him overtake Brian Brobbey in the Ajax pecking order.
Dutch media on Wout Weghorst
Weghort’s showing off the bench has seen him land a spot in Voetbalzone’s Team of the Week for the Eredivisie.
They suggest that Weghorst ‘already seems indispensable’ for Ajax having shown his goalscoring class off the bench.
Ajax certainly seem to have found the best of Weghorst and he is right amongst the goals having endured a fairly fruitless time in front of goal at United.
The challenge for Weghorst is to transition from super-sub to reliable starter in this Ajax side but having dominated against Heracles Almelo, few would back against him.
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