October 13th 2024.
According to Manchester United legend Gary Neville, it was a major mistake for his former club to sell Danny Welbeck. However, fellow Old Trafford legend Roy Keane disagrees with this sentiment. Welbeck, who came up through United's academy, made 142 appearances for the club and was part of the team that last won the Premier League title under Sir Alex Ferguson. Despite his contributions, Welbeck decided to leave in 2014 due to frustration with lack of game-time and joined Arsenal for a fee of £16m. However, his time at the Emirates Stadium was largely underwhelming and he was eventually released in 2019 after scoring only 32 goals in 126 appearances for the Gunners. He then had a less-than-ideal season at Watford before joining Brighton in 2020, where he has since shone with his impressive performances and crucial goals. Even at the age of 34, Welbeck is arguably in the best form of his career, having already scored four goals in just seven Premier League games this season.
Meanwhile, Manchester United has been struggling to find the back of the net, with only five goals scored in their first seven games of the 2024-25 campaign. Looking back at Welbeck's superb start to the season, Keane jokingly asked on Stick to Football with Sky Bet, "Could he go back to United maybe?" To which Neville replied, "He's in better form than any of the United front players, by far. Danny Welbeck, to be fair, should never have been let go at United." However, Keane, who captained United in the past, made his feelings clear about Welbeck's departure, saying, "Oh, I don't know about that Gary, we can't keep saying that about players just because he left."
Neville then explained his reasoning, stating, "Roy, if you've got a squad of 24, 23, and you want to keep five or six strikers, he's got to be one of those. You've got to keep him." But Keane had a different perspective, saying, "Sometimes a player leaves and has a really good career, it doesn't mean to say they were good enough for Manchester United."
Welbeck's former United teammate Wayne Rooney also joined in on the discussion and highlighted the striker's strengths, saying, "I think one of his biggest strengths was winning the ball back high up the pitch. He was aggressive, you'd go and press and he'd win it back high up the pitch. His touch was good and we had a real good connection. He was bright, he was clever with the ball, he was good to play with, he was quick."
Welbeck's impressive form this season was evident when Brighton defeated Manchester United earlier in the season. After the match, another United legend, Rio Ferdinand, expressed his shock at Welbeck's departure from the club, saying, "Nothing surprises me with Danny Welbeck. I watched him as a young kid at Manchester United and he was a wonderful player. I couldn't believe it when United agreed to let him go because I thought he had so much value, not only as a player but just around the place as well as a former academy player. He's someone who players who have played against him respect more than some fans who don't quite realise how difficult he is to play against. He's a great professional too."
The defeat to Brighton was one of five United have suffered in the Premier League this season, making it their worst start to a campaign and leaving them just five points above the relegation zone. The team will be eager to turn things around on Saturday when they face Brentford at Old Trafford, before taking on Jose Mourinho's Fenerbahce in the Europa League. As for Welbeck, his former club's struggles only solidify the belief that he should have never been sold a decade ago.
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