Manchester United have significantly improved their goalscoring output this season after investing wisely in the attack. The Red Devils finished 15th in the Premier League table last campaign, and lost the Europa League final 1-0 to Tottenham Hotspur.
Much of their misfortune was due to poor form in the final third, with the team managing just 44 goals in 38 Premier League games. INEOS identified the issue early in the summer and invested over £200 million in Matheus Cunha, Bryan Mbeumo and Benjamin Sesko.
United have subsequently plundered 63 goals in 35 Premier League games this season, and now sit third in the league table. Sesko is the club’s top scorer with 12 goals in all competitions, while Cunha (9) and Mbeumo (10) have also contributed to the team’s rise.
However, the Red Devils remain linked with further attacking additions this summer, especially with Joshua Zirkzee’s future uncertain. There is a belief that Sesko could further improve with an experienced striker in the squad, and previous reports have suggested former academy graduate Danny Welbeck as an option.
Welbeck’s spell at Old Trafford
Welbeck rose through the ranks at Old Trafford and broke into the first team under former head coach Sir Alex Ferguson. After a fruitful loan spell with Sunderland in the 2010/11 campaign, the Englishman was included in the senior side but failed to cement a place in the starting XI.
With Louis van Gaal taking charge in the summer of 2014, Welbeck was deemed surplus to requirements and sold to Arsenal. By then, he had registered 29 goals and 16 assists in 142 appearances for the Red Devils.
The Englishman spent five seasons at the Emirates before briefly joining Watford. In the summer of 2020, he moved to Brighton and has done very well at the Amex so far.
This season, the 35 year old has registered 14 goals and two assists in 37 appearances. That also includes two goals against United: in Brighton’s 4-2 defeat in the Premier League, and in the 2-1 FA Cup Third Round victory.
Danny Welbeck Stats: 2025/26 Season
Source: Transfermarkt.
A privilege to play for United
Welbeck recently sat down with Sunderland’s media team, where he was asked about his spell with United. The Englishman spoke about his former club fondly, adding that it was a privilege to play for the senior side.
He said: “It’s my boyhood club. I grew up there, coming through the academy from the Under-9s right up to the first team. You grow up watching your idols and you want to get there and try to emulate their success. It was really such a privilege to make it into the first team.”
“It took a lot of hard work to get there, and I had some amazing years. I had some incredible role models to learn from and of course an incredible manager as well. I could never ever say a bad word against Manchester United because they brought me through the system and developed me as a person and as a player.”
“That’s the same as the time I spent at Sunderland where so many players and staff helped me along the way, so I owe everyone there and Steve Bruce such a lot.”
Final Thoughts
Welbeck won the Premier League, the EFL Cup, the Community Shield and the FIFA Club World Cup during his time with United. With the Englishman’s contract due to expire next summer, he could be a cost-effective option to strengthen the attack this summer.
Featured image Jan Kruger via Getty Images
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