Manchester United are aiming to have a deal to sign Wout Weghorst on loan for the remainder of the season completed in time for the striker to make his debut against Manchester City on Saturday.
Weghorst is flying to Manchester today in order to be able to have a medical this afternoon or tonight, with the 30-year-old desperate to make the move to United and keen to be involved in the derby this weekend.
United sources have said the club are working to get the deal completed "as soon as possible" and it is understood staff are expecting Weghorst to be at Carrington for the first time on Thursday afternoon.
READ MORE: Weghorst aiming to complete United medical in time to face Man City
The club now have the facilities to complete medicals at the training ground and Weghorst could put the finishing touches to the deal while there. He would need to be registered by midday on Friday in order to be included in Erik ten Hag's squad for the derby.
Ten Hag has only Anthony Martial available as a central striker at the moment, with Marcus Rashford able to play that role, but the England international is the first choice on the left wing.
United will pay a fee of £2.5million for Besiktas to terminate Weghorst's loan, which would allow him to move on loan from Burnley to United for the rest of this season. The Championship club didn't have a recall clause in the loan deal with Besiktas.
United first enquired to Burnley about Weghorst's availability in mid-December, with Ten Hag identifying his countryman as a short-term replacement for Cristiano Ronaldo.
But the Clarets had no recall clause in the season-long loan with Besiktas, who had an option to buy him permanently at the end of the season.
Negotiations initially involved all three clubs, with United trying to strike a deal via Burnley for Besiktas to agree to an early termination of their agreement for a player who has scored nine goals in the last 18 games.
But with Weghorst desperate to make the move and United determined to bring in a striker as soon as possible, negotiations have developed between United and intermediaries for Besiktas in recent days.
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