Chelsea have opened talks for Danny Welbeck, and the move has reopened an old Manchester United regret. Welbeck scored 13 Premier League goals last season, and the timing is awkward for United because they discussed bringing him back in 2024 after Erik ten Hag recommended a move, then never made an offer.

United's missed chance

That is why the old debate has returned so quickly. Gary Neville said Welbeck "should never have been let go at United" and argued he ought to have been one of the club's retained strikers. He added: "If you've got a squad of 24, 23, and you want to keep five or six strikers, he's got to be one of those. You've got to keep him."

The point is not that United had to get this exact call right to the letter. It is that Welbeck has kept producing enough to make the alternative look plain enough. He delivered those 13 Premier League goals in 37 appearances, so this was not a short burst built on a tiny run of cameos.

Why Chelsea are looking at him

There is also a football reason Chelsea are interested. Welbeck is 35, but he still gave Brighton output last season and the move talks arrive while Chelsea are trying to add a forward who can do a job now rather than later. Brighton have their own contract picture to consider too, with The Independent reporting that Welbeck signed a new 12-month deal in March that runs until the end of the 2026-27 campaign.

The case for him as a short-term option is helped by the evidence that he can still turn in strong games. The Independent reported he scored twice in Brighton's 3-1 win at Stamford Bridge last season, and his 8.0 match rating against a top opponent showed he can still deliver spikes of high-level performance.

Welbeck himself has not fed the noise. Speaking to mirror.co.uk, he said: "It's speculation and there's always that link for me because I've been at the club. As I said, I'm just focusing on what I can control myself and all the other stuff is pretty irrelevant."

For Chelsea, the talks are real enough to watch. For United, the more awkward detail is still the same one: they had the chance to revisit Welbeck in 2024, discussed it, and let it pass.

Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 3 outlets. How we work →