Patrice Ev certainly likes the arrival of Wout Weghorst at Manchester United. The 41-year-old former defender thinks the Dutchman can be successful at the Red Devils and draws the comparison with Olivier Giroud. “Weghorst reminds me a bit of Giroud: you can always play them and then make a run behind the last line yourself,” said Evra in conversation with Betfair.
It seems only a matter of time before United officially confirm Weghorst’s arrival. The striker will fly to Manchester on Thursday to undergo a medical and will then sign a contract to complete his loan transfer. Erik ten Hag sees the nineteen-time Dutch international as an ideal starting point and an option to force a goal.
Ev, who played no less than 379 games between 2006 and 2014 the Red Devils played, is strongly in favor of the transfer from Weghorst to United. “It’s a good player. He reminds me a bit of Giroud and I like that. Weghorst plays with his back to goal, has a good physique, is strong and understands how to hold a ball. He knows exactly how to play in the front of the attack and guys like Marcus Rashford and the rest of the team will enjoy working with him.”
The comparison with Giroud, who himself played for years in the Premier League at Arsenal and Chelsea, is not for nothing. “You can always give them a ball and then make the run behind the last line,” continues Evra. “Weghorst is a good finisher, two-legged and incredibly strong in the air. A striker like him can be successful at United.” The Mancunians are reportedly paying £3 million to Burnley to hire the striker until the end of the season.
Ev understands why Ten Hag came up with Weghorst
The former left back also sees that Weghorst has certain qualities that Ten Hag still lacks in his selection. “You can see that the manager wants to have more control over the game. That’s United’s problem: they win, but they don’t control the game for 90 minutes.” Evra thinks Weghorst is ‘tactically and technically a very interesting player’. “You can play him in his feet, on his chest or on his head and then he will hold the ball and then he can give assists to other players.”