Rio Ferdiand has admitted he "couldn't believe it" when Manchester United decided to sell one Premier League star.
Man United suffered their first Premier League defeat of the season on Saturday when they lost 2-1 away at Brighton & Hove Albion.
Erik ten Hag's side looked set to head back to Manchester with a point after Amad Diallo drew them level, but Brighton striker Joao Pedro scored a winner deep into injury-time to leave them empty handed.
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Brighton's opener came courtesy of former United striker Danny Welbeck, who is beginning his fifth season on the south coast.
Welbeck joined United's academy at the age of eight and went on to make 142 appearances for his boyhood club.
The striker helped United win the Premier League in 2021-13 in Sir Alex Ferguson's final season as manager, but he was surprisingly sold to rivals Arsenal in 2014.
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Saturday's opener was Welbeck's 100th career goal, but if Rio Ferdinand had had his way, that milestone would have been achieved with the 33-year-old wearing a red shirt.
Speaking on TNT Sports before United's defeat, Ferdinand argued that United should never have sold Welbeck.
"Nothing surprises me with Danny Welbeck," Ferdinand said.
"I watched him as a young kid at Manchester United and he was a wonderful player.
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"I couldn’t believe it when United agreed to let him go because I thought he had so much value, not only as a player but just around the place as well as a former academy player.
"I think he’s someone who players who have played against him respect more than some fans who don’t quite realise how difficult he is to play against. He’s a great professional too."
Former England and Chelsea midfielder Joe Cole agreed with Ferdinand, adding: "We saw players like Welbeck and Jonny Evans leave Manchester United and they’ve gone on to have good Premier League careers.
"They would have been invaluable to have around at United I think. That’s one of the reasons they’ve been in the shadows for such a long time.
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"Danny Welbeck is a fantastic, fantastic player."
Topics: Manchester United, Rio Ferdinand, Premier League, Football, Danny Welbeck, Brighton And Hove Albion
Alex Brotherton