‘If you wanted a back-up striker you wouldn’t go wrong with Danny Welbeck’: Rio Ferdinand says Manchester United missed a trick in not re-signing their former player after his dominant display in Brighton’s win at Old Trafford
- Brighton’s Danny Welbeck was briefly available on a free transfer this summer
- He put in an impressive showing against Manchester United on Sunday
- The 31-year-old assisted Pascal Gross’s first goal as Brighton won 2-1
- Rio Ferdinand said there was ‘no doubt’ that he would take Welbeck at United
Former Manchester United centre back Rio Ferdinand has said he ‘would have taken’ Danny Welbeck at his old club after the Brighton forward put in a stellar performance at Old Trafford on Sunday.
Brighton beat United 2-1 in Erik-ten Hag’s first league game in charge, as Welbeck assisted Pascal Gross’s first goal and was a thorn in his former club’s side all afternoon.
The 31-year-old forward started his career at Old Trafford, scoring 29 goals in 142 games for the Red Devils from 2008-2014. He would have been available as a free transfer over the summer before signing a contract extension in June.
Rio Ferdinand feels Manchester United should have re-signed Danny Welbeck
‘Danny Welbeck would have started today for Man United,’ Ferdinand said on his Vibe with Five podcast.
‘Welbeck walked out of that tunnel, shoulders back, chest out, and you could see he was thinking he would terrorise that team. That’s how he played today.
‘He looked like primetime Danny Welbeck at the Bernabeu against Real Madrid.’
The Brighton striker put in a dominant display at Old Trafford on Sunday
Welbeck scored a crucial goal in United’s 1-1 away draw with the Galacitcos in 2013, and in the process became the first Englishman to score for a Premier League side at the Bernabeu since 2001.
When asked if he would have taken Welbeck at United this season, Ferdinand replied: ‘On today’s performance, no doubt. If you wanted a back-up striker you wouldn’t go wrong with Danny Welbeck
‘You tell him he’ll play 15-20 games across the season, fill in for Cristiano [Ronaldo], give us the legs and give us the movement.
He set up Pascal Gross’s first goal and bullied defenders as Brighton won 2-1 against United
‘He can get in behind and creates the space for the likes of Bruno [Fernandes].’
Manchester United started Christian Eriksen as a makeshift-number nine on Sunday due to an injury to Anthony Martial and concerns over Cristiano Ronaldo’s match-readiness.
A stand-in forward such as Danny Welbeck could have come in handy as Erik ten Hag looks to negotiate a season that is looing increasingly challenging.
