Manchester United were reportedly seriously considering re-signing Danny Welbeck earlier this year, as Erik ten Hag was keen on bringing the striker back to Old Trafford.But ultimately, a couple of key issues halted any move for the Brighton and Hove Albion forward, who has kicked off the new Premier League season in fine form with six goals and one assist in nine matches.
Manchester United were reportedly seriously considering re-signing Danny Welbeck earlier this year, as Erik ten Hag was keen on bringing the striker back to Old Trafford.
But ultimately, a couple of key issues halted any move for the Brighton and Hove Albion forward, who has kicked off the new Premier League season in fine form with six goals and one assist in nine matches.
Ten Hag was adamant he wanted a seasoned striker to be added to his armoury at United, as he required experience in front of goal. In the summer of 2023, the Dutchman was left disappointed when United declined to meet Tottenham's asking price for Harry Kane, who subsequently moved to Bayern Munich for a whopping £86million. Following this, the club instead shelled out £72m for Atalanta striker Rasmus Hojlund, 21.
His arrival at Old Trafford was met with the understanding that he was still a work in progress and would need time to develop. Despite being United's top scorer in his first season with 16 goals, Hojlund just couldn't match the scoring frequency of a player like Kane.
This past summer, with Anthony Martial's departure on a free transfer looming, Ten Hag was once again shopping for a striker, and ended up signing forward Joshua Zirkzee from Bologna for £36.5m.
Yet, Ten Hag was reportedly still interested in adding a seasoned Premier League striker to his squad. As per The Athletic, he thought Welbeck would be an excellent addition to his attacking line-up and included him in recruitment talks.
It's been suggested that United seriously contemplated signing the 33-year-old, who joined the club at the tender age of 11, progressed through the academy, and made 142 appearances before transferring to Arsenal in 2014.
Welbeck's wealth of experience was reportedly identified as a valuable asset to bring into the dressing room. He also boasts a reputation as a top-notch athlete, consistently ranking among Brighton's best performers in physical tests.
However, United didn't put forward a solid offer, with Welbeck now tied down at the Amex Stadium until 2026. United were supposedly hesitant to commit to a transfer under Ten Hag's leadership due to the uncertainty surrounding his future, despite later backing him with a £200m investment in the transfer window, reports the Express.
The difficulties faced by Sir Jim Ratcliffe in establishing his new football hierarchy, due to various gardening leaves, also presented a significant obstacle. United's sporting director Dan Ashworth had a hand in Welbeck's move to Brighton in 2020 while he was serving as the club's technical director.
However, he wasn't able to work for the Red Devils until a compensation agreement was reached with Newcastle United at the beginning of July. Welbeck has proven Ten Hag's interest to be well-founded this season, netting six goals in nine Premier League matches, including one in a 2-1 victory against United.
