According to a report by Football London on Wednesday October 21, 2026, Danny Welbeck, a striker for Chelsea, was interested in a failed transfer to Old Trafford before things changed, according to Erik ten Hag, a former manager of Manchester United.

Players like Alejandro Garnacho, Mason Mount, and Jadon Sancho have swung between United and Chelsea in a slew of recent transfers. But before Welbeck made his way to Stamford Bridge, he was Ten Hag's target.

Manchester United reportedly tried to sign Tottenham striker Harry Kane after Cristiano Ronaldo left in 2023, but Bayern Munich beat them to it. Instead, United signed Rasmus Hojlund from Atalanta.

A year after signing Bologna's Joshua Zirkzee, United considered re-signing Welbeck from Brighton. Welbeck had been a United player for thirteen years, rising through the ranks of their academy and appearing in over 140 games.

Following impressive displays with Brighton and Arsenal, the seasoned striker became a tempting choice to bolster United's youthful offensive unit. But when the club's leadership changed, the planned transfer fell through.

Ten Hag verified the talks had occurred and said that Darren Fletcher, a former technical director of United, was the main contact with the Brighton forward.

Not me, but Darren (Fletcher, the technical director of United at the time). Ten Hag confirmed Welbeck's openness to the trade proposal by saying, "And he was very interested." This information was reported by The Athletic.

A couple of seasons later, Welbeck stayed put at Brighton, where he had two fantastic Premier League seasons. According to reports, Chelsea manager Xabi Alonso was swayed by his stellar play and goal total from last season, which included thirteen league goals.

Since then, the 35-year-old has had a hard time breaking into Chelsea's starting lineup, always trailing behind Joao Pedro. But in the club's domestic cup tournaments, Welbeck has been a mainstay.

Both of Chelsea's EFL Cup matches have featured him, and he scored once against Luton Town and twice in last month's thrilling 6-3 win over Leeds United at Stamford Bridge.

So, Welbeck's career has gone in a completely different path, and the most recent revelation from Ten Hag shows how nearly Manchester United reunited with their former academy graduate before the chance passed.