Erik ten Hag's obstacle prevented Manchester United from signing Danny Welbeck for nothing

Sacked manager Erik ten Hag was reportedly interested in Manchester United re-signing Danny Welbeck.

Ten Hag Recently lost his job as Red Devils coach after two and a half years, with the club set to appoint Sporting Lisbon as coach Ruben Amorim as its replacement.

Goals were arguably the biggest problem for the Dutchman, whose team scored just eight goals in their first nine Premier League games this season before his sacking.

Meanwhile, former United forward Welbeck has six goals alone for Brighton who are sixth in the table, five points clear of the 14th-placed Red Devils.

The Athletic claims United have identified their former academy star as a potential summer target towards the end of the 2023/24 campaign.

Welbeck joined United when he was 11 and spent 13 years at the club before joining Arsenal in 2014.

Now 33, the Englishman is enjoying perhaps the most prolific period of his career with the Seagulls.

Ten Hag is understood to have been particularly interested in Welbeck, who was set to become a free agent in July.

United were considering ways to replace Anthony Martial and Welbeck had impressed Ten Hag in games against his team.

Welbeck assisted one of the goals in Brighton's 2-1 victory over United in Ten Hag's first game in charge.

The former England star has scored against United five times since leaving the club, with two of those goals coming during Ten Hag's reign, including one earlier this season.

United's new hierarchy under Sir Jim Ratcliffe, led by Sir Dave Brailsford and Dan Ashworth, were also thought to like the idea.

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Welbeck's return to his boyhood club would likely have proved popular with fans, while the 33-year-old is known to be one of Brighton's most in-form players.

However, it is claimed that club officials were unwilling to approve a transfer for Ten Hag as doubts remained over his future.

The Dutchman was clinging on to his job before winning the FA Cup final against Manchester City, which eventually earned him a new contract.

But with recruitment plans on hold, United missed the chance to sign Welbeck, who put pen to paper on a new deal with Brighton shortly after the January transfer window.

United's defeat has proven to be a gain for the Seagulls, and manager Fabian Hurzeler is delighted with his number 9.

In early October, Hurzeler said: “If he continues to behave the way he does, he will be able to continue playing for a long time.

“We have another player who is almost 40 years old and he is still there and tries to be the best every day. That's the same for Danny.

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“I knew (when I arrived) that he had great talent and that he is a great teammate and supports me a lot. He is not only a great footballer but a great teammate and personality.

“He has a feel for the team dynamic and tries to connect the players. “That is very important to me.”