Man Utd make final decision on Danny Welbeck transfer

Cameron Smith

• 15 Jan 2026 14:50 GMT
• 4 min read

News

Former Manchester United boss Ruben Amorim reportedly wanted the club to sign an experienced centre forward during the January transfer window, but his request was rejected by the Red Devils hierarchy.

Amorim was sacked by the 13-time Premier League champions on 5 January following a disappointing 14-month spell in charge and they have appointed ex-Middlesbrough boss Michael Carrick as caretaker manager until the end of the 2025-26 campaign.

Current ETV

Danny Welbeck

F (C)

Brighton

Danny Welbeck

F (C)

Brighton

€4.3M

ETV Range

€3.4M - €5.2M

View full profile

Amorim won just 25 of his 63 matches in charge of the Old Trafford outfit and his departure came after a lengthy feud with several Man Utd officials.

The Portuguese tactician was told to abandon his preferred 3-4-2-1 formation by Man Utd director of football Jason Wilcox, while several other issues with the former Blackburn Rovers winger eventually led to his exit.

Now, it has emerged that Amorim wanted to sign an experienced striker during the winter window before his sacking.

That is according to Sky Sports, who report that Amorim was a keen admirer of both Jean-Philippe Mateta (Crystal Palace) and Danny Welbeck (Brighton & Hove Albion).

However, Man Utd officials were unwilling to sanction additional spending on attackers following the arrivals of Benjamin Sesko, Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha over the summer, which caused further tension with Amorim.

Man Utd make Danny Welbeck transfer decision

Welbeck, 35, has been continuously linked with an Old Trafford return in recent years and FootballTransfers understands that he is open to completing a blockbuster move back to the club.

The ex-England striker has scored nine goals in all competitions so far this season, including two in two games at Old Trafford, and speculation has suggested he could earn a surprise international recall ahead of this summer’s World Cup.

However, the Man Utd board currently have no intention of bolstering their squad with an experienced forward and Sky Sports have confirmed the arrival of Carrick as their new interim boss will not change the club’s January transfer plans.

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