Wayne Rooney has called on Manchester United to sign Danny Welbeck after the 34-year-old forward scored Brighton’s winning goal against Newcastle in the FA Cup on Sunday. Welbeck, who came up through the United academy, played alongside Rooney before leaving the club in 2014 to join Arsenal.
United had a disappointing afternoon at Old Trafford on Sunday as they were eliminated from the cup after falling to Fulham in the fifth round. The match ended in a draw after extra time, with Bruno Fernandes equalizing after Calvin Bassey’s initial goal. Ultimately, the match was decided by penalties, with Fulham coming out on top.
Welbeck joined Brighton in 2020 after a season with Watford and has experienced a revival in his performance under Fabian Hurzeler this year.
The striker has made a significant impact in the Premier League this season, scoring seven goals and providing four assists in 17 league starts.
On Sunday, he came on for Georginio Rutter with 10 minutes left in regular time as his team sought to defeat the Magpies at St James’ Park. He subsequently netted a superb goal with six minutes remaining in extra time, helping Brighton advance to a quarter-final match against Nottingham Forest or Ipswich.
“He’s scored goals throughout his career. He had injuries during the early part of his career but he seems to have got over them and he’s having a fantastic season.”
In October of last year, it was revealed that United had looked into the possibility of acquiring Welbeck while Erik ten Hag was the manager. The Dutch coach was interested in bringing in a seasoned Premier League striker and believed the Brighton forward would be a fantastic fit for his squad.
Ultimately, the 13-time Premier League champions chose not to pursue a formal bid for the player, who continued to play in Sussex.
In November, ex-United winger Lee Sharpe urged his old club to consider signing Welbeck, stating to Racing Tipster: “Manchester United might want to explore the option of acquiring Danny Welbeck in January.”
“I know he’s been at the club before, but he’s doing brilliant things at Brighton this season and looks a really assured and mature player at the moment. He’s working his socks off, creating and scoring goals, and he looks like he’s in his prime down there at the AMEX Stadium.”