Manchester United are ‘very close’ to signing Wout Weghorst, according to Foot Mercato journalist Lucas Billard.

The Lowdown: New forward wanted

Erik ten Hag has admitted that the Red Devils are in the market for a new striker following Cristiano Ronaldo’s departure in November. A number of attacking players have been linked with making the move to Old Trafford, including Weghorst.

Described as ‘crazy’ by former Wolfsburg team-mate Admir Mehmedi, the Netherlands international is still on the books at Burnley but is currently on loan with Turkish outfit Besiktas, where has scored nine times and registered four assists in 18 games.

The Latest: Weghorst to Man Utd update

Billard took to Twitter on Saturday evening to share a report from Foot Mercato outlining what he knows about Weghorst and a potential move to Old Trafford.

He said that the Red Devils are ‘very close’ to registering the forward’s arrival, while Fabrizio Romano has stated that the player has given the green light to a transfer.

The Verdict: Smart move?

Weghorst could be a shrewd signing in the short-term for United and would give Ten Hag another much-needed centre-forward option alongside Anthony Martial.

The 30-year-old stands at 6 foot 5 and recently produced heroics on the biggest stage at the World Cup, scoring twice against eventual winners Argentina.

The second of those goals, which came from a well-worked free kick in the 11th minute of stoppage time to make it 2-2, saw him hailed as Netherlands' "saviour" by News Corp Australia's Rob Greenwood.

United have a busy second half of the season as they are still involved in four competitions, so bringing in an experienced player like Weghorst could make sense.