Besiktas president Ahmed Nur Cebi says a deal to sign Wout Weghorst from Championship outfit Burnley ‘should be finished in two or three days’, speaking to Cumhuriyet.
This is not how things were supposed to go.
When Weghorst arrived from Wolfsburg in a £12 million deal during the January transfer window, he was being held up as a 6ft 6ins knight in shining armour. A substantial upgrade on the departing Chris Wood, and a superhero centre-forward capable of swooping down and saving this damsel in distress from the very real threat of relegation.
In the end, Burnley went down, Weghorst failed to live up to expectations, and this whirlwind romance looks destined to end in an early divorce.
Wout Weghorst leaving Burnley for Besiktas
The former AZ Alkmaar talisman told Voetbal International recently that he has no interest in playing second-tier football at Turf Moor with the Qatar World Cup just a few months away.
And, after Cebi said earlier this month that terms had been agreed with Weghorst regarding a potential switch to Istanbul, the Dutch international should now say his goodbyes before the end of the week.
“I don’t think it will take too long. It should be finished in two or three days. His decision seems positive, and we are currently dealing with his club,” says the Besiktas president.
The Super Lig giants have also shown an interest in former West Ham ace Marko Arnautovic. One-time Crystal Palace misfit Alexander Sorloth too.
Weghorst, however, remains Besiktas’ top priority. There is a chance that Cenk Tosun – after leaving Everton – will also be offered a return to his old employers, regardless of whether the Burnley targetman arrives beforehand.
“Right now, Weghorst is ahead (of the rest) and he is our priority,” adds Cebi. “Our door is always open for Cenk. It seems like an issue that we can always solve. He is also willing (to sign).”
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