Burnley have kept hold of the Dutch Striker Wout Weghorst over the summer, despite his struggles in front of goal for the past two seasons. He spent last season on loan at Turkish club Besiktas and footballing giants Manchester United.
During his first season in the Premier League from Wolfsburg, he made 20 appearances over the course of the season. Throughout this season he only accumulated two goals for the Clarets.
It was clear that the entire of Turf Moor was not too pleased with the signing which they had acquired in the January transfer window for 15 million pounds. Furthermore, due to relegation at the end of the 21/22 season, it led to him going on loan to the Black Eagles.
During this spell, he clearly showed some promise in which he acquired eight goals in 16 appearances, despite this the loan was cut short due to interest from the Red Devils.
The three-million-pound loan fee was interestingly split between both Besiktas and Burnley. Throughout this loan, he did not score a single goal, which was surprising as he had an impressive World Cup with the Netherlands squad.
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Weghorst's role
After reading about his previous time spent in Lancashire and recent loan spells it raises the question on how he will fit in this new Burnley system under Vincent Kompany. Furthermore, it also asks the question will he play, especially after their recent recruitment of Zeki Amdouni.
Last season Kompany’s squad was very effective in the Championship; they operated in a 4-3-3 and Ashley Barnes was their sole striker.
To be effective next season in the Premier League with Weghorst up front, they will need him to drop deeper to receive the ball, this will enable him to play the ball out wide to the likes of Anass Zaroury and Manuel Benson.
Josh Cullen and Josh Brownhill will then feel as though they have an extra midfielder due to having someone roaming slightly above the two. This will give the midfield more freedom to try to win that battle, thus enabling them to dominate the possession.
However, all this being considered Zeki Amdouni has been the Clarets' most recent buy. He was the Conference League’s top goal scorer and accumulated 22 goals in all competitions. Reports have stated that the main reason for arriving is due to Vincent Kompany.
Due to this, he may be left out of the squad and be used as an impact player instead. On the other hand, they may change into a 4-2-3-1 where the new Swiss signing will play as a 10 and the Dutch striker will start up front.
In this case, he can then hold upfront and receive passes from the three midfielders, this will also allow for the wingers to cut inside and can play the ball to both Weghorst and Amdouni. The formation will allow for them to play the same high-paced football that they previously played in the Championship.
In conclusion, it will be clear that he will not start every game but will be effective off the bench and can be utilised so are able to perform in the same style as the previous seasons.
Allowing this to happen gives Burnley the best chance to fight against the very best in world football. The Premier League is immensely competitive, but utilising Weghorst will only improve their chances of survival.
If they finish higher up the table, then the players that will want to join them in the summer can produce an even higher finish, therefore having a knock-on effect for the whole club.
This can all lead to the dream goal for the Clarets - European football. This would all be possible if progression is shown and the squad is bolstered. The issue they will face with their success is that it is possible for Vincent Kompany to be pinched by another club.