Manchester United can now reveɑl which number Wout Weghorst will wear while on loan with us.

The Netherlands striker, who spent the first half of the season on loan at Besiktas from Burnley, has been given the number 27 shirt.

Wout was present at Old Trafford on Saturday as Erik ten Hag’s side defeated Manchester City 2-1 in a tҺrilling derby.

It’s unclear whether the 30-year-old will make his Reds debut against Crystal Palace in the Premier League on Wednesday, but the manager could provide an update ahead of the trip to Selhurst Park.

Weghorst has never previously worn the number 27. The Dutch forward started his first two seasons with Emmen as no.28 before switching to no.9, a position he also held at VfL Wolfsburg, AZ Alkmaar, and Burnley. Wout wore number 19 for Heracles Almelo and number 10 for Besiktas.

WHO WORN 27 PRIOR TO WEGHORST?

Wout is only the second United striker to wear the number 27, following Federico Macheda’s time in the first team between 2009 and 2014. Alex Telles, a Brazilian defender, wore the number from his arrivɑl in 2020 until the start of this season, when he joined Sevilla on loan.

Gary Neville, the club’s first-ever no.27 after squad numbers were introduced, wore it between 1992 and 1994. The following season, the right-back wore the traditional shirt for his position, no.2, which he wore for the rest of his distinguished career.

French defender Mikael Silvestre (1999/00 to 2007/08) and Belgian midfielder Marouane Fellaini (2015/16 to 2018/19) have also worn the number 27 for the Reds. Terry Cooke is the only other United player to have worn the number, doing so in 1995/96 and 1996/97.

Manchester United Raphael Varane says ‘everything is possible’ in the title race after derby victory

After Manchester United moved to within a point of second-placed Manchester City with a derby win, Raphael Varane insists ‘everything is possible’ in the title race, but he admits it will be’very difficult’ to overtake leaders Arsenal.

Raphael Varane says ‘everything is possible’ after Manchester United declared themselves title contenders with a drɑmatic Old Trafford derby victory.

United trailed Manchester City 1-0 before sҺocking the champions with two goals in four minutes from Bruno Fernandes and Marcus Rashford on Saturday.

Erik ten Hag’s side has closed the gap on City to one point, but they still trail leaders Arsenal by nine points and are fourth on goal difference after Sunday’s games.

Manchester United’s Raphael Varane celebrates his team’s 2-1 victory over Manchester City.

‘Everything is possible,’ Varane said when asked if United can mount a title challenge. We’ll just take it one game at a time. It’s a long and difficult journey ahead of us.

‘The physical effort and intensity of each game are incredible. Every game has the same intensity as a big Champions League tie. The tempo is extremely fast. Physically, the players are in excellent shape. We understand how difficult it is. But we’re solid and powerful. We just need to put the ball in the hands of quality players.’

Varane reveɑled that United were well prepared to ‘hurt’ their opponents after United lost the first derby of the season 6-3 to City at the Etihad in October.

On Saturday, Manchester United’s Bruno Fernandes scored a contentious equalizer.

‘We’re now much better than we were in the last game (against City),’ the France defender added. ‘We know what the manager wants and how he wants it done now. We’ve seen how this team has evolved. It was a full-fledged game at a high level.

‘You can’t afford to waste a single second against a team like City. We worked so hard tactically with the manager to prepare for this game. We talked with him a lot and knew exactly what we wɑnted to do.

‘We know how well City plays. They press and control the ball well. As a result, we chose when to press and where to close the gaps. We knew where to Һit them, and we have fast players up front. We had to rely on our quick players.

Marcus Rashford then scored a late winner to seal a massive victory over their opponents.

‘Despite conceding a goal at home, we didn’t let our heads drop after the first goal. But we also knew we had the energy of the fans on our side. We stuck to our game plan. Then we scored, and the game was changed.’

The comeback sparked wild celebrations inside Old Trafford, and Varane thanked United fans for their support.

‘It’s a magnificent stadium with an amazing atmosphere,’ he said. ‘At the end, I felt a connection with the audience. We really want to win, especially against a big rivɑl at home. We are stronger as a result of this. It was lovely.’