Besiktas sees free agent Vincent Aboubakar as a suitable successor to Wout Weghorst, writes Foot Mercato on Sunday afternoon. The French sports website, which was the first to report on Saturday about the possible transfer from Weghorst to Manchester United, writes that Besiktas is currently talking to the agent of the Cameroon striker.
With that, a remarkable transfer carousel unfolds. Here’s the thing: Aboubakar left Al-Nassr this week, so that there was room for Cristiano Ronaldo. Regulations in Saudi Arabia dictate a maximum of eight foreign players, while Al-Nassr had nine. Ronaldo had left Manchester United on a free transfer, which now wants to take Weghorst away from Besiktas. The Daily Mail, which also reports on Besiktas’ interest in Aboubakar, speaks of a real transfer merry-go-round.
Thirty-year-old Aboubakar, who gave Cameroon a great victory over Brazil in the group stage at the World Cup, has already proven himself in the service of Besiktas. He was rented out by FC Porto to the Turkish club in the 2016/17 season and then scored 19 goals in 38 official games. In 2020, after Aboubakar’s contract with FC Porto was terminated, he was finally signed by Besiktas. Then he scored another 16 times in 29 official matches, before moving to Al-Nassr in 2021 for an annual salary of six million euros.
The transfer from Weghorst to Manchester United is not yet complete. The striker seemed to wave goodbye to the audience on Saturday evening after a goal against Kasimpasa, but technical director Ceyhun Kazanci emphasized that Weghorst is ‘our player’. He indicated that Manchester United should first talk to Burnley, where Weghorst is under contract, and that Burnley should then talk to Besiktas. According to journalist Fabrizio Romano, the Orange international would love to go to Manchester himself and he knows that Erik ten Hag would like him.
