Rio Ferdinand ‘can’t believe’ Man Utd decided to sell Premier League star

When Manchester United opted to sell one Premier League player, Rio Ferdiand said he “couldn’t believe it.”
Man United lost 2-1 on the road against Brighton & Hove Albion on Saturday, their first Premier League loss of the year.

After Amad Diallo pulled them level, Erik ten Hag’s team appeared to be headed back to Manchester with a point, but Joao Pedro, a striker for Brighton, scored the game’s winning goal deep into injury time, sending them away empty-handed.

Danny Welbeck, a former United striker who is starting his fifth season on the south coast, scored Brighton’s first goal.

At the age of eight, Welbeck enrolled in United’s academy and went on to play 142 games for the team he grew up playing for.

In Sir Alex Ferguson’s final season as manager, the striker helped United win the Premier League in 2021–2023; however, in an unexpected move, he was moved to rivals Arsenal in 2014.

Welbeck scored his 100th goal of the season in the first goal on Saturday, but if Rio Ferdinand had his way, the 33-year-old would have done so while sporting a red shirt.

Before United’s loss, Ferdinand made the case on TNT Sports that United never ought to have sold Welbeck.

“With Danny Welbeck, nothing surprises me,” Ferdinand remarked.

“He was a fantastic player, and I watched him as a small child at Manchester United.

“As a former academy player and someone who I believed had so much worth both as a player and around the place, I couldn’t believe it when United agreed to let him go.

“I believe that players who have faced him have more respect for him than some fans who may not fully understand how challenging it is to play against him. He’s also a fantastic professional.

Joe Cole, a former midfield player for Chelsea and England, concurred with Ferdinand, saying, “We saw players like Jonny Evans and Welbeck leave Manchester United and go on to have fantastic Premier League careers.

“I believe having them around at United would have been extremely beneficial. That is one of the reasons they have spent so much time hidden.

“Danny Welbeck is an incredible player,”