Burnley are looking to offload centre-forward Wout Weghorst this summer and have slapped a hefty £10 million price tag on him amid interest from clubs abroad, according to the latest reports.
The Dutch centre-forward is currently on international duty with The Netherlands and is preparing to face England on Wednesday night in the semi-finals of the 2024 UEFA European Championship. Weghorst scored the winning goal on the opening day of the tournament in a 2-1 victory against Poland which was vital to his country’s qualification for the knockout rounds.
Given he is in Germany with his national team, it is highly unlikely that Weghorst will return to Lancashire for pre-season training under new head coach Scott Parker. When asked before Saturday night’s game against Turkey whether he would be interested in a return to Besiktas, where he spent the first half of the 2022/23 campaign on loan, the 31-year-old admitted that he doesn’t know what the future will bring [quotes via Inside Futbol]:
“I had an incredibly good time in Turkey and I received an offer from Manchester United. I could not say no to that.
“I can always have thoughts for Besiktas and Turkey. We do not know what the future will bring.”
However, Italian outlet Tuttosport, via The 72, has revealed that the Burnley frontman is wanted by Serie A giants AS Roma this summer and that the Clarets are looking for a £10 million fee for Weghorst’s services, having bought him for £12 million two-and-a-half-years ago from German side Wolfsburg.
Furthermore, Weghorst currently boasts a market value of just £5 million, according to Transfermarkt, as he has entered into the final 12 months of his contract at Turf Moor, yet Burnley want double this figure in order to sell the Dutchman.
Writer’s View
Burnley seemingly don’t want Weghorst on the books anymore, nor does the player want to play for the club. This was clear at the start of the previous campaign when the club sent him out on loan to Hoffenheim despite being promoted back to the Premier League.
However, £10 million seems a bit excessive. While he is an international footballer and could end up being a Euros winner by the end of the week, Weghorst turns 32 next month and hasn’t exactly hit the ground running during any of his loan stints. The Clarets may have to bring their price tag down if any suitors, including Roma, are to take him off their hands.
