Danny Welbeck’s sale to Arsenal was not an easy one to take for many Manchester United fans. He was a local lad and had worked his way up to the first team; only to be sold to a direct rival.
If his first goal for the club was anything to go by, everyone thought the boy was going to be something special.
A select few, however, saw this as a good transaction. Manchester United got £16 million for their Academy product who was toiling around with injuries for the most part of the campaign. A good deal indeed!
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It didn’t take Welbeck much time to prove United and Louis van Gaal as it was his decisive goal at Old Trafford that knocked United out of the FA Cup; before winning the competition with Arsenal the same year.
Since then, he’s had two long term injury layoffs and a start-stop career in terms of playing time.
Arsenals pre-season tour, however, painted a different picture. Danny Welbeck was a regular feature for the Gunners. He had worked on his fitness after the end of last season up until the beginning of this; to prove that he was ready to take up the mantle whenever the opportunity came. While his pre-season highlight reel would end up on the comical side due to some dreadful misses and bad first touches; he had minutes under his belt and got a consistent run of games.
Against Leicester City, he looked sharp on the ball and has Kolasinac to thank for the goal he scored, again a great bonus for the lad!
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While he may seem to have falling way down the pecking order with the purchase of Lacazette and Giroud’s goal-scoring exploits. He has another position which he can truly capitalize on and stake a claim for. The position of a winger in a 3-4-3 system requires extreme mobility. Attacking and defensive duties will be aplenty for anyone positioned far wide. Given Danny’s extremely high work-rate and dispossessing skills; he will be a revelation for Arsene whenever deployed as a winger.
Arsenal enter next season with a hugely packed schedule throughout; and expecting Welbeck to start every game will be too much of an ask considering the fact that he has just returned from an injury layoff. If he manages to fight off his demons, he’ll prove to be a real asset; one that can greatly benefit Arsenal’s quest for silverware next season.
