Rio Ferdinand has made his feelings clear about how Manchester United should have dealt with a controversial exit at Old Trafford in 2014.
Manchester United won their third game in a row on the weekend as they beat Brighton 4-2 at Old Trafford, with Bryan Mbeumo scoring a brace.
It was a solid performance from Ruben Amorim’s side,. although there was a scare late in the second half when the visitors scored twice in quick succession.
Unsurprisingly, it was ex-Red Danny Welbeck who scored the free-kick to get Brighton back into the game. The United academy graduate has scored seven times against his former club, more than any other team he has faced.
Welbeck came through the ranks at Carrington but departed the club in the summer of 2014 when Louis van Gaal was at the helm.
He moved to rivals Arsenal, where he spent five years before a move to Watford occurred in 2019. The following year, Welbeck signed for Brighton and he has been shining on the south coast since then.
Ferdinand slams United for Welbeck exit
Welbeck scored 10 goals in the Premier League for Brighton last term as a rotation option and he already has five in the division this season.
Many fans believe that it was the wrong decision for Van Gaal to sell Welbeck a decade ago and Rio Ferdinand echoes those beliefs.
“I think he should have stayed at Man United, I always say this to him. Obviously sometimes it’s not his decision,” Ferdinand said in his latest YouTube video when discussing Welbeck.
“I think it was an absolute balls up that they actually let him leave the football club. A Manchester boy, loves the club, a great kid, never a day’s trouble for anyone at the football club, a nice way about him, a great family, what are you selling him for?
“If the manager who came in – I think it might’ve been Van Gaal – whoever came in and said, ‘yeah, you can go’, you say, ‘no, no, no, this one is out of your hands mate, you don’t know the detail behind this one, leave this to us’, and he’s in and you make it work, that’s what should’ve happened with Danny Welbeck.”
United considered Welbeck return in summer window
Funnily enough, United were considering a move for Welbeck in the summer window but, in the end, those in charge decided against pursuing their former player.
Perhaps it would have been a different story if United were in Europe and needed another no.9 amidst a busy schedule. Right now, they do have more than enough depth for that position with Benjamin Šeško, Joshua Zirkzee and the likes of Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha who can play upfront.
Still, it feels like United have been missing having that veteran, old school centre-forward as an option in the squad, even if it is partly to help the younger players.
Welbeck could have been that, and maybe he shouldn’t have been sold in the first place anyway, but as United fans, it is always good to see one of your own succeed if they do move away, and Welbeck seems to be in the form of his life right now.
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