Who is Wout Weghorst? Burnley replacement to justify Chris Wood sale



When Burnley sold Chris Wood to relegation rivals Newcastle, there were differing opinions on the deal. Many felt Newcastle had paid over the odds - reportedly triggering a release clause in doing so - while some felt it would prove a shrewd signing to bring in a Premier League proven goalscorer.

The one thing that the vast majority agreed upon was that the signing could be a decisive factor in the relegation battle with one side weakening a direct rival. That, at least, would be the case if Burnley failed to reinvest that money on an effective replacement. Step forward Wout Weghorst...

The Dutch international is rumoured to be in talks with the Clarets after a bid was submitted to Wolfsburg for their leading scorer. Should Burnley secure the services of the 29-year-old, it would be some statement of intent to those around them, not least Newcastle, that they won't be going down without a fight.

The fact that the club have identified Weghorst as a potential like-for-like replacement is perhaps not a surprise given the similarity in their playing profile. The fact that they look close to getting the deal over the line is far more so. Weghorst's goals, after all, fired Wolfsburg to a Champions League finish last season, but much like Wood, they've proven harder to come by this season.

Indeed, VfL are languishing perilously close to the relegation zone in Germany, albeit in a highly competitive league outside of the title race. Weghorst has a modest six goals to his name in the current campaign, which is still twice that of Wood but a big drop off from the 20 he struck last season.

 

 

That was no fluke either, with tallies of 17 and 16 respectively in his first two seasons at the club, Weghorst proved capable of making the instant step up from the Eredivisie to the Bundesliga. Indeed, during his time in Germany only Robert Lewandowski has scored more goals than the Netherlands international, with an impressive 59. He'll have to make another jump to have a similar impact in the Premier League, but in Burnley he would certainly be joining a club that would play to his strengths.

At 6'6" Weghorst is a target man to play into, not only boasting superior finishing statistics to Wood but also a stronger all round link up game. His aforementioned 59 league goals dwarf Wood's 39 in the same time, with a 20.4 per cent conversion rate to the New Zealander's more modest 17 per cent. While some could reasonably argue much of the difference in those numbers is a direct consequence of the quality of opposition, few could question Weghorst's superior creativity.

Both boast near identical numbers when it comes to accurate lay offs and flick ons combined, which is a key facet to Burnley's direct approach, but the Dutchman's final ball is far superior. His commendable average of 1.2 key passes per 90 is well in advance of Wood's 0.7 over the past three and a half seasons, yeilding an impressive 19 assists to the former Burnley front man's six. All in all, Weghorst has had a direct hand in a goal every 130.4 minutes in the Bundesliga, while Wood's figure is up at 207.7 in that time.

 

Who is Wout Weghorst? Burnley replacement to justify Chris Wood sale

 

His overall pass accuracy is superior too (67 per cent to 63.4 per cent), though again can be attributed to playing in a stronger side and different system. There is, however, one area where would comes up trumps, and it's his aerial ability in the box specifically.

Wood's total of 14 headed goals since 2018/19 equates to almost 36 per cent of his total tally. Interestingly, Weghorst's overall aerial success rate (55.2 per cent) is again much stronger than Wood's surprisingly meagre 43.7 per cent, but he's less clinical with his head in the box. A tally of 11 headed goals is not to be sniffed at in the Bundesliga, but equates to just 18.6 per cent of his total by comparison. His conversion rate from headed attempts is 14.7 per cent to Wood's 17.7 per cent.

That said, following the signing of Maxwel Cornet in the summer and the strong interest in Dinamo Zagreb's Mislav Orsic, the club's approach not only on the pitch but in their recruitment strategy is clearly changing. Previously it's Burnley that would have been desperate for the Premier League experience Newcastle are evidently after. Burnley's decision to make rare forays into the market outside of the English leagues may be an acknowledgement of the value, or indeed lack thereof, on the domestic front nowadays.

If they can secure the signings of Weghorst and Orsic before the deadline, they will be hoping the pair can hit the ground running just as Cornet has before them. With the games in hand over their rivals, they do at least have a little leeway in that respect, but if Weghorst can take to the Premier League anywhere near as effectively as he did the Premier League, they may not just have replaced Chris Wood, but upgraded on him.

Who is Wout Weghorst? Burnley replacement to justify Chris Wood sale