Manchester United wanted to bring Danny Welbeck back: why the deal fell through.

According to The Sun: According to reports, Manchester United attempted to bring Danny Welbeck back to Old Trafford last summer.

The 34-year-old forward from Brighton, who previously played for the club, was considered a potential candidate during the last transfer window under Erik ten Hag.

Danny Welbeck became a target for Manchester United again

Jason Wilcox and Omar Berrada were eager to sign a second forward after missing out on Liam Delap.

However, Sir Jim Ratcliffe hesitated about the two-year contract offer.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin was also considered as an alternative option.

This move was part of efforts to improve the scoring situation, as Manchester United scored only 44 goals in the 2024/25 season, finishing 16th in the league.

New Transfers

Ultimately, the club under Ruben Amorim invested £200 million in new attackers, such as Matheus Cunha, Bryan Mbeumo, and Benjamin Sesko.

At the beginning of the summer, United seriously considered signing a second forward after losing Liam Delap, who moved to Chelsea.

The target was former United player Welbeck, who spent 16 years at the club, starting from the academy.

He became Brighton's joint top scorer last season, scoring ten goals, and the club believed his experience would be valuable.

United's executives, Jason Wilcox and Omar Berrada, were considering offering a contract until 2027 if terms could be agreed with Brighton.

However, Ineos head Sir Jim Ratcliffe was cautious about a two-year contract for a player who will turn 35 this November, so a one-year deal with an option to extend was discussed.

As a result, the offer was never formally made.

Other Options

According to reports, United also considered Bournemouth winger Antoine Semenyo as an alternative to Mbeumo.

However, Charlie's £70 million valuation proved too high.

Although results have yet to confirm this, United are showing improvement in their attacking play this season.

Amorim's team has accumulated 6.78 expected goals, the highest in the Premier League.

They have also hit the woodwork three times, twice as much as other teams, and United lead in shots taken, outpacing Chelsea by 14 shots.

However, the key statistic is the goals scored, and currently, United has only four league goals.

Three of these goals were scored in the match against league newcomers Burnley, where the victory was secured by a penalty from Bruno Fernandes in stoppage time.

United have also addressed some defensive issues by signing 23-year-old goalkeeper Senne Lammers for £18 million from Royal Antwerp.

After the international break, United face three tough matches.

The first will be the Manchester derby at Etihad, then at home against Chelsea, and away at Brentford, where United have not won since 2022.

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Thus, Manchester United is trying to resolve their attacking issues through transfers. The team continues to seek new opportunities for improvement despite a challenging start to the season. Although attempts to bring Welbeck back were unsuccessful, the club is actively working on new signings to strengthen their squad ahead of the important matches that lie ahead.