Sport
Wout Weghorst might take Burnley to the next level
The loss of Chris Wood to a relegation rival as much as Burnley’s position in the Premier League table seemed to have sealed their fate. Sean Dyche’s side were stuck in 20th place and had just lost their top scorer and attacking focal point midway through the season. Now, though, Wood’s January exit to Newcastle United doesn’t look so bad for the Turf Moor club.
In Wout Weghorst, Burnley found a more than able replacement. In fact, there’s good reason to believe the Clarets have upgraded their attack through the £12m signing of the Dutch striker. This is a forward who netted no fewer than 59 goals in 118 Bundesliga appearances for Wolfsburg. His pedigree is clear for all to see.
Weghorst has also hit the ground running for his new team, scoring his first Premier League goal in Burnley’s statement 3-0 away win over Brighton on Saturday. The 29-year-old was also a handful for Manchester United in only his second Burnley appearance, registering an assist in a 1-1 draw, and gave Liverpool all sorts of problems in a narrow 1-0 defeat.
This season, the aim for Burnley is merely to stay up. The Turf Moor outfit have spent the last five seasons in the Premier League and want to stay there. Saturday’s win over Brighton was enough to live them into 19th place with Burnley holding at least one game in-hand over most of the rival teams around them.
If, however, Burnley can survive the threat of relegation, Weghorst is the sort of player who could take them to the next level. The 29-year-old has made an instant impact at Burnley and would surely be even more effective if Dyche had time to build his attack around him. Weghorst could be the Clarets’ main man up front for years to come.
Good goalscorers are hard to find and Burnley, perhaps by accident, have found one. Not only is Weghorst proven at club level in Germany, he has scored goals in continental and international competition. It is something of an anomaly that he has ended up scrapping for survival near the foot of the Premier League.
It could be the case that Weghorst’s physical frame makes him somewhat unfashionable. This could be why he didn’t have other options further up the Premier League table, but this shouldn’t concern Burnley. The Dutchman is perfect for Dyche’s system. Losing Wood to Newcastle might have been a blessing in disguise.
“Both are very good players but I think Wout is more technically-minded,” Dyche explained when comparing the two centre forwards. “He can see pictures with his back to goal whereas Woody was someone who wanted to be in the box and sniff out goals, Wout is more of an all-rounder. He can offer varying ways of playing probably because of his experience at Wolfsburg and different clubs.”
While Burnley’s new owners have held off on investing significant funds into the club, there are some signs that the Clarets are starting to think bigger. Between Weghorst and Maxwel Cornet, signed for a club-record transfer fee last summer, Dyche boasts two high-quality attackers that would improve most teams above his own.
Dyche’s Burnley will always be direct in their approach, but that doesn’t mean they can’t become more than just relegation scrappers. Smart recruitment has given the Clarets a chance of staying in the Premier League and if they achieve that it could also give them a chance of climbing even higher up the table. Far from sealing Burnley’s relegation fate, Wood’s departure and Weghorst’s arrival might have liberated them.
