Wout Weghorst has risked angering Besiktas chiefs even further as he desperately attempts to force through a move to Manchester United.
The Dutch striker has emerged as a shock target for the Red Devils as they seek a replacement for Cristiano Ronaldo. Weghorst memorably scored twice against Argentina in the Netherlands' World Cup quarter-final classic last month.
He is now closing in on linking up with compatriot Erik ten Hag at Old Trafford, though United have work to do to complete the deal. For his part, Weghorst appears to be doing all he can to get the move over the line and seal his dream transfer to the Red Devils.
As part of that, the Dutchman has already emptied his locker at Besiktas, according to A Sport commentator and journalist Serdar Sarıdağ. Weghorst is on loan at the Istanbul side, scoring nine goals so far this season.
He appears to be desperate to push through his move to Old Trafford, despite his contract at Besiktas not having a recall clause for Burnley to activate. His loan contract in Turkey runs until the end of the season.
The striker appeared to wave goodbye to the club's fans after scoring in their win over Kasimpasa on Saturday. That infuriated sporting director Ceyhun Kazanci, who insisted Besiktas had no intention of letting Weghorst leave.
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“I don’t understand why Weghorst said goodbye to the fans, why he made such a move. He is our football player right now. Our contract expires at the end of the season," Kazanci told Fanatik.
“If Manchester United or any other team wants Weghorst, they will meet with Burnley anyway. Burnley will then contact us and discuss the terms of separation. If we accept, the contract will be terminated.
“Otherwise, it will go on until the end of the season. He can’t just go. There will have to be a reward for us to approve the separation.
“I’ll give an example. Burnley told us, ‘We made a deal with this team for Weghorst. We give you half of the transfer fee.’ This may be a different condition. Then we’ll sit down and talk.”
Besiktas are next in action on Saturday when they travel to seventh-place Konyaspor. The Black Eagles currently sit in fifth, 10 points adrift of Galatasaray, who are top of the division.
While the move appears to have come out of nowhere, former Manchester United first-team coach Rene Meulenstein believes Weghorst would be a good addition to Ten Hag's squad.
"Ten Hag knows what he is doing, for sure. He is 30 years old so it is a stop-gap because of the ongoing rumours with the takeover of new owners. That is probably the reason Ten Hag is being forced to do loan deals," he told BBC Sport.
"He needs to do something in the transfer window, though, so in this case it's better to go with someone you know. It is not one for the long term but it is somebody who can do a job for them in the short term.
"He is different, that is why Ten Hag is bringing him in. He offers something else that the other Manchester United forwards don't have - but I don't think he will be a starter every game."
