ERIK TEN HAG reportedly wanted Manchester United to re-sign Danny Welbeck this summer in a desperate attempt to solve the club’s attacking woes.
The Dutchman was sacked by United on Monday following a poor start to the season.
ReutersErik ten Hag wanted to sign a former United striker this summer[/caption]
GettyDanny Welbeck was among Ten Hag’s transfer targets[/caption]
Getty – ContributorWelbeck graduated from United’s academy and remained at the club until 2014[/caption]
His departure came just 116 days after he signed a one-year contract extension.
Club officials gave Ten Hag around £200million to spend in the transfer window after he extended his deal.
He went on to sign Matthijs De Ligt, Noussair Mazraoui, Manuel Ugarte, Leny Yoro, Joshua Zirkzee and Sekou Kone.
But Sir Jim Ratcliffe and Co did not entertain his desire to sign former United ace Welbeck.
According to The Athletic, Ten Hag believed the Brighton striker would be an “excellent” addition to his squad.
The 33-year-old’s name was brought up in recruitment discussions at the end of the 2023-24 campaign.
He was heading towards free agency, with his Brighton deal set to expire in June.
Ten Hag and his team saw Welbeck‘s experience as a positive for the dressing room.
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They were also impressed that he ranked among the top performers at Brighton based on physical tests.
But a concrete offer for the ex-England striker – who previously scored 29 goals in 142 appearances for United – did not materialise.
Instead, he penned a new two-year contract with Brighton.
Welbeck has since scored six goals in nine Premier League appearances this season, with Brighton sixth in the table.
Meanwhile, United are down in 14th with 11 points from nine games.
Sporting Lisbon manager Ruben Amorim is in line to replace Ten Hag at Old Trafford.
He will reportedly join during the November international break – which starts on Monday, November 11.