Gary Neville has explained why Brighton forward Danny Welbeck would still be “perfect” for Manchester United after he was “let go too quickly”.
The Red Devils are expected to sign a new striker during this summer’s transfer window as Rasmus Hojlund and Joshua Zirkzee are not doing enough.
United are 15th in our open goals Premier League table with Hojlund and Zirkzee coming under increased scrutiny.
The Premier League giants are linked with Sporting Lisbon’s Viktor Gyokeres, Napoli’s Victor Osimhen and Ipswich Town’s Liam Delap, but Neville reckons his former club should re-sign Welbeck from Brighton.
The 34-year-old progressed through the ranks at Man Utd but was sold to Arsenal for around £16m after scoring 29 goals in his 142 appearances for his boyhood club.
Welbeck spent five years at Arsenal and one season at Watford before he joined Brighton in 2020. He has enjoyed a career resurgence on the south coast and has six goals in his 18 Premier League appearances this season.
Neville has given two reasons why Welbeck would be “perfect for how Man Utd play” under head coach Ruben Amorim after he was “surprised” when he was “sold” to Arsenal.
“He was let go too quickly at United,” Neville said on Sky Sports.
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“If you think about [former United boss] Louis van Gaal, obviously his style of play is very precise.
“Danny wasn’t precise in his game back then. So he just let him go, just didn’t fancy him at all.
“But he’s actually perfect for how Man Utd should play: threatening space in behind, playing off front players… And this idea he’s not good enough for Manchester United is absolutely rubbish.
“He’s good enough to be in a pool of three or four strikers at Manchester United, just like, for instance, Liverpool have three, four, five forward players across that front line. They’re all of differing abilities and different talents. But they all contribute at a certain point in the season.”
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He continued: “Sometimes we tag these players with, ‘Oh, he’s not good enough’. No he is – to be part of a 20-man squad at a top club.
“He can still play at the very top level. He’s destroying defences.”
Speaking pre-match, he said: “I was surprised when they [Man Utd] sold him.
“I think he is good enough to play for the club today.
“He is a massive threat to any defence when he is on the top of his game.”
