Former Ajax manager Maurice Steijn has admitted they were keen on signing striker Wout Weghorst from Burnley last year, when he was at Manchester United.
The Dutch boss has been speaking to Voetbal Primeur’s De Oranjekantine, relayed by FC Update, about the Burnley flop as he continues to be linked with a move back to the Netherlands this summer.
The striker is currently at Euro 2024 with his country and scored the winning goal in the 2-1 win over Poland on Sunday.
That put him back in the spotlight after a difficult year on loan in Germany, where he was unable to convince Hoffenheim to make the move permanent.
That was his third loan move in a row after previously leaving Burnley, where he had made it clear he didn’t want to play in the Championship, for a temporary move to Besiktas and then Manchester United for the second half of last season.
He and Burnley want a permanent split this summer and Ajax have been named as one of his potential suitors, alongside FC Twente.
Steijn can absolutely see that being the case, as the Dutch club were keen on the striker when he was in charge last year.
“I would have liked to have him there,” he said.
“”There was some talk of it last year when he was at Manchester United, but that didn’t work out. We wanted to rent him for a year, but that ultimately fell through. I would have liked to have him there, for sure!
“I don’t think it is strange. I would then agree very clearly with him what his role will be, because Brian Brobbey is the future. But they play a lot of matches, cup matches, European… He always plays twenty matches. The question is whether he wants that.”
