Manchester United head coach Erik ten Hag has opened the door for Wout Weghorst to convert his loan move into a permanent deal this summer.
Having parted ways with Cristiano Ronaldo on bitter terms before the World Cup, and with Anthony Martial struggling to stay fit throughout the campaign, the Red Devils entered the winter market for a new centre-forward.
Weghorst was initially plying his trade on loan at Besiktas from Burnley in the first half of the season, but the 30-year-old's stay in Turkey was brought to a premature end as Man United struck a deal to bring him to Old Trafford.
Weghorst immediately cemented his place in the first XI under Ten Hag, but the towering Netherlands international has contributed little in terms of direct goal involvements.
The former Wolfsburg man has just two goals and two assists to show from 18 games in a Man United jersey, and his loan does not include an option or obligation to make the deal permanent.
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Despite facing criticism for his failure to make the net ripple more often, Ten Hag has been left delighted with Weghorst's overall contribution and would welcome the striker staying at the club beyond the summer.
When asked by reporters in a press conference if the 6ft 6in forward could enjoy a long career at Old Trafford, Ten Hag replied: "Of course. I think he is doing a lot of elements of football really well.
"Wout is doing a really good job for us. He is the leader of the process in pressing, he starts the press and is very good in backward pressing. He is also taking up (good) positions and in his link-up play he's doing really well.
"He is making good movements, making space for others, so he's also good in set-plays. He is really contributing to this team. I think after Christmas we have played 25 games and we lost two - and Weghorst played almost all of the games so he is really part of the success."
While a large chunk of Man United's goals this season have come from the boot of Marcus Rashford, Weghorst has started eight Premier League games, four Europa League contests and the EFL Cup final, playing 70 minutes against Newcastle United at Wembley.
All 18 of Weghorst's appearances for the Red Devils so far have come from the first whistle, and the Netherlands international believes that his string of starts shows that he is making a meaningful contribution to the team's success.
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"That's a lot of matches and it shows the trust in me. It also shows that I am doing a good job for the team. That was the thing I wanted when I came here – to contribute and try and help the club to be successful to win trophies," Weghorst told the press during the international break.
"We have one now. We have two more to go with the Europa League and FA Cup, and we want to get as high as possible in the table and definitely top four for the Champions League.
"So it just shows me that I am being part of it. And being part of us being successful and that appreciation, that's a good thing."
Weghorst made a name for himself at Wolfsburg before joining Burnley in 2022, but he struggled to adapt to life in the Premier League and has just three goals in 20 games for the Clarets, who were relegated to the Championship at the end of last season.
The Dutchman remains contracted to Vincent Kompany's side until 2025, and Man United will be expected to sign a big-name striker whether Weghorst ends up joining permanently or not.
Tottenham Hotspur's Harry Kane, Napoli's Victor Osimhen and Eintracht Frankfurt's Randal Kolo Muani are all believed to be prime targets for the Red Devils, but they have supposedly suffered a major blow in their pursuit of Kane, with Spurs chairman Daniel Levy reluctant to do further business with Manchester clubs after regretting the sale of Kyle Walker to Manchester City in 2017.
Ben Knapton
