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Wout Weghorst has claimed that he will try his best to extend his stay at Manchester United beyond the end of the season.
The Netherlands international signed a six-month loan deal at Old Trafford earlier this month from Burnley. The Red Devils were in the market for a striker and agreed to pay a £2.5 million compensation fee to Besiktas to cut short his loan spell in Turkey.
His debut came in a 1-1 draw against Crystal Palace on 18 January, where he played the full 90 minutes. Weghorst was then on the pitch for 69 minutes in his team's 3-2 loss against Arsenal four days later.
After two Premier League games without a goal, Ten Hag chose to stick with the 1.97-meter tall striker in his starting XI against Nottingham Forest. The Red Devils put out a strong side against the Tricky Trees and won the first leg of the EFL Cup semi-finals by a 3-0 margin on 25 January.
Weghorst opened his account for Manchester United in the process, scoring in the 45th minute to make it 2-0. He scored from a rebound that resulted from Antony's shot being saved by goalkeeper Wayne Hennessey.
Speaking after the full-time whistle, the former VfL Wolfsburg striker was asked if he wanted to prove that he deserves to stay at Manchester United beyond the summer.
He replied (h/t Daily Mail):
"Of course. The situation now is how it was – it was for a loan. It’s a massive club so I will try to do everything as good as I can, and if it will work out it will be a good option."
His loan deal at Old Trafford does not include an obligation to buy.
Wout Weghorst praises Manchester United forward after 3-0 win vs Forest
Marcus Rashford opened the scoring for Manchester United within the first six minutes of the game against Nottingham Forest.
The goal at the City Ground took the England international's tally to 18 goals and six assists in 29 club games across competitions this season. Weghorst seems to have formed a close bond with Rashford during the former's first week at the club.
The Englishman was the first to congratulate and celebrate with Weghorst on his first goal for the club. Addressing his relationship with Manchester United's No. 10, Weghorst continued, via the aforementioned source:
"He’s got a lot of quality. He’s also a really good guy, a really open guy, and he was the first one who came to me when I scored my goal. We have a good relationship. You see the qualities he has. He’s extremely important for us, the way we play, he’s a massive part."
