Wayne Rooney has admitted he wanted to see Manchester United re-sign Danny Welbeck when the club was on the hunt for a new striker over the past few seasons.
United spent big on Rasmus Højlund in 2023 but have consistently been searching for a reliable source of goals ever since. Joshua Zirkzee was recruited from Bologna in 2024 before this past summer’s big-money acquisition of Benjamin Šeško from RB Leipzig.
Højlund has since departed on loan and Zirkzee is expected to follow suit in January after failing to live up to expectations at Old Trafford. Meanwhile, Welbeck has continued to produce at a steady rate with Brighton & Hove Albion.
After putting previous injury problems behind him, Welbeck went on to score 10 Premier League goals for Brighton in 2024–25—the best tally of his career to date—and has started 2025–26 by already netting six times in 10 league games. His birthday later this month will be his 35th.
United were acutely aware of the exploits of their former academy gem. According to The Athletic, Welbeck was a tentative target in the summer of 2024, with interest driven primarily by former manager Erik ten Hag. No offer materialised because the club was unwilling to commit to one of the Dutchman’s targets when his job was uncertain at that stage. Welbeck then signed a new two-year Brighton deal, ultimately leaving Rooney disappointed.
“I’m stoked, he’s been on fire,” Rooney said on his self-titled BBC podcast, The Wayne Rooney Show.
“I absolutely love Daniel, I love him,” the former United captain added of his ex-colleague—Rooney was around to see a teenage Welbeck’s emergence in the first-team in 2008 and played alongside him for five full seasons until a surprising 2014 transfer to Arsenal.
“He’s been such a good player in the Premier League. Manchester United should have brought him back because he scores goals and he works hard,” Rooney continued.
“I think over the last couple of years I would have really have liked to have him back. I think now United are going a different way and have hopefully turned a corner. But I would have wanted him back over the last few years. He seems settled at Brighton so I just hope he keeps scoring goals and hopefully gives himself the best chance possible to get back in the England squad.”
United’s lack of attacking firepower was horribly exposed in 2024–25, with Højlund starting the season injured after a promising debut campaign and later left bereft of confidence. Zirkzee scored a winning goal on his Premier League debut but took time to adapt, and precious little striker depth meant a lack of goals was the primary factor behind a worst league finish in 51 years.
The club took measures to address that coming into this season, spending just over £200 million ($262.7 million) combined on Matheus Cunha, Bryan Mbeumo and Šeško, who have collectively contributed 10 goals and assists across all competitions so far. Mbeumo is the team’s overall top scorer with five goals to his name (four in the Premier League) and is seeking to become the first United player to net 20 times in a league season since Robin van Persie in 2012–13.
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