After yet another Danny Welbeck goal against Manchester United, we thought it’d be fun to put together an ex‑Manchester United squad that would give the current one a run for its money. There is a seriously competitive squad here!
What’s striking isn’t just the individual quality — it’s how well this team actually fits together. From a Champions League‑winning goalkeeper to a forward line stacked with pace, power and pedigree, this XI has balance, experience and a point to prove. And when you compare it to the current United squad, it’s clear to see the recruitment has been nothing short of a disaster.
Goalkeeper
Dean Henderson – Henderson finally left Manchester United permanently in the summer of 2023, ending years of frustration as he bounced between being promised the No.1 shirt and being sent out on loan. After feeling misled about his chances under Ole Gunnar Solskjær, something he later spoke about openly, he pushed for a move where he’d actually play. Since joining Crystal Palace, he’s re‑established himself as a Premier League starter, won an FA Cup, and put himself back into the England conversation. It’s the career stability he was never given at Old Trafford.
Defence
Matteo Darmian – Matteo Darmian left Manchester United in 2019 after four seasons in which he was never truly trusted by a succession of managers. A reliable, tactically disciplined full‑back, he often found himself used as a utility option rather than a starter, and eventually pushed for a move back to Italy to revive his career. Since returning to Serie A, he’s been outstanding, first helping Parma stabilise, then becoming a key figure in Inter Milan’s title‑winning side under Antonio Conte and Simone Inzaghi. He’s reinvented himself as a dependable, intelligent defender who can play across the back line, proving United badly misjudged his value.
Michael Keane – Michael Keane left Manchester United in 2015 after realising he was unlikely to break into a defence dominated by established senior players. Louis van Gaal rated him, but not enough to give him the consistent minutes he needed at a crucial stage of his development.
A move to Burnley transformed his career, he became one of the Premier League’s most reliable young centre‑backs, earned an England call‑up, and eventually secured a big‑money transfer to Everton. While his form has fluctuated on Merseyside, he’s had long spells as a first‑choice Premier League defender, something he was never given the chance to become at Old Trafford.
Victor Lindelöf – Victor Lindelöf hasn’t officially left Manchester United yet, but with his minutes shrinking season after season, he’s long felt like an ex‑player in waiting. After years of being shuffled around to accommodate every new defensive signing, he finally made the move to Aston Villa, and it’s proving to be a masterstroke. Unai Emery has already started to use him in their unlikely title challenge, valuing the calmness and composure that United never fully appreciated. In a well‑coached, structured side, Lindelöf looks reborn, and it only underlines how poorly United have managed their defensive recruitment.
Alvaro Carreras – Carreras might go down as one of the most catastrophic sales of the post‑Ferguson era. Manchester United let him leave for just €6 million in 2024, despite clear signs he was developing into a modern, technically gifted full‑back. Benfica immediately recognised what United didn’t, fast‑tracking him into their first team and polishing the raw talent the academy had spent years nurturing.
Within months, Real Madrid came calling, and paid €50 million to take him to the Bernabéu. Watching a player United practically gave away become a marquee signing for the biggest club in the world is a brutal indictment of the club’s talent identification and retention strategy.
Midfield
Scott McTominay – McTominay was sold largely to ease Manchester United’s PSR pressure, a decision that looked pragmatic on paper but has aged terribly. Despite being one of the club’s most reliable and durable midfielders, he was moved on at the exact moment United needed physicality, goals from midfield and a player who actually embraced the responsibility of big moments.
Since leaving, he’s gone on to become a key figure for both Napoli and Scotland, adding consistency and end‑product to a game that was already built on intensity and commitment. Letting him go to balance the books only underlines how muddled United’s squad‑building has become.
Angel Gomes – Angel Gomes left Manchester United in 2020 after failing to agree a new contract, frustrated by the lack of a genuine pathway into the first team. One of the most technically gifted academy players of his generation, he was repeatedly overlooked in favour of short‑term fixes and veteran stop‑gaps.
His move to Lille unlocked everything United couldn’t; Regular minutes, tactical development, and the freedom to express himself. That growth has since taken him to Marseille, where he’s now playing Champions League football and has even earned senior England caps. It’s a brutal reminder that United let a top‑level midfielder walk out the door for nothing.
James Garner – James Garner’s departure in 2022 felt premature at the time, and it looks even worse now. Sold to Everton for a modest fee despite shining on loan at Nottingham Forest, he was another academy midfielder United couldn’t find space for.
Under David Moyes, he’s become the heartbeat of Everton’s midfield, tactically disciplined, technically secure, and trusted to run games in a way United never allowed him to. He’s even taken on set‑piece duties, delivering the kind of dead‑ball quality United have lacked for years. Watching him thrive as a central figure in Moyes’ system only highlights how badly United misjudged his ceiling.
Forwards
Danny Welbeck – Danny Welbeck’s exit in 2014 was framed as a necessary step to “raise the level” of Manchester United’s attack, a line that looks more absurd with every passing season. Sold to Arsenal to make room for Radamel Falcao and Ángel Di María, he left as a homegrown forward who pressed, linked play and delivered in big games.
Since then, he’s carved out a long, respected Premier League career and, crucially, developed a habit of scoring against United with almost comedic regularity. Now a key figure at Brighton, his movement, intelligence and work rate remain elite, and every goal he scores against his boyhood club feels like another reminder of how badly United misread his value.
Romelu Lukaku – Romelu Lukaku’s exit in 2019 was painted as a clean break for both sides, but it’s hard to argue United got the better end of the deal. Despite being criticised for his fit in the system, he still delivered 28 goals in 66 games, hardly a poor return for a striker who was often feeding off scraps. Instead of building around his strengths, United moved him on without a coherent replacement plan.
His move to Inter Milan reignited his career, where he became the most dominant striker in Serie A and fired them to a title. Watching him thrive elsewhere while United lurched from one short‑term No.9 to another only underlines how badly the club mismanaged his time at Old Trafford.
Cristiano Ronaldo – CR7 is the most contentious inclusion in this XI, but the way his second spell at Manchester United ended remains one of the club’s most avoidable self‑inflicted dramas. Despite his age, he still delivered goals, 24 in his first season back, and did nothing to deserve being abruptly frozen out the following year.
The breakdown wasn’t about ability; it was about a club with no clear plan lurching from one idea to the next. The irony is that Manchester City were reportedly ready to sign him before United swooped in, only to then treat him like an inconvenience just a season later. Whatever you think of Ronaldo’s personality or demands, the handling of his exit was emblematic of a club that has forgotten how to manage elite players.
Bench
David De Gea – De Gea’s exit was handled with a coldness that didn’t reflect a decade of elite service. He was still a capable shot‑stopper when United abruptly moved on without a proper plan. For a club built on loyalty and legacy, the way he was discarded said far more about United than about him.
Daley Blind – The Dutch international continues to show his class in La Liga, using his intelligence and versatility to stay relevant at the top level. Even in the later stages of his career, he’s still delivering the kind of calm, composed performances United have lacked for years.
Alex Telles – Alex Telles quietly rebuilt his career after leaving Manchester United, becoming a surprise goal threat for Botafogo with five goals in their 2025 campaign. His resurgence helped the club qualify for the Copa Libertadores, and he continued to make Brazil squads long after leaving Old Trafford.
Andreas Pereira – The Brazilian was allowed to leave Manchester United for a pittance, a decision that looks increasingly naïve with every passing season. After impressing at Fulham and rebuilding his reputation in the Premier League, he earned a move to Palmeiras, one of Brazil’s elite clubs, where he’s now a key creative presence in a side competing for major honours.
Henrikh Mkhitaryan – Mkhitaryan was written off far too quickly at United, judged more harshly than the chaotic environment he walked into. Since leaving, he’s reinvented himself brilliantly, first at Roma, now still performing at a high level for Inter. Another reminder that the problem was never his talent, but United’s inability to maximise it.
Memphis Depay – The Netherlands’ all-time leading goal scorer was written off far too quickly at United, judged on a chaotic season rather than his actual talent. Since leaving, he’s rebuilt himself across Europe, starring for Lyon, contributing at Barcelona, and remaining a key figure for the Netherlands. Now flourishing in Brazil, he’s added yet another chapter to a career United gave up on just before he matured into the complete forward they thought they were buying.
Anthony Elanga – The Swedish winger was allowed to leave just as he was beginning to show real upward momentum, and United cashed in without truly understanding what they were losing.
After impressing at Forest, he earned a £50m move to Newcastle in the summer, a fee that underlines how quickly his value skyrocketed once he was given trust and minutes.
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