We'd all feared that a good, likeable Manchester United player would be caught up in Louis van Gaal's cull, but instead of Rafael da Silva, it looks like it'll be Danny Welbeck. The London Evening Standard are reporting that van Gaal has given the England international permission to leave Old Trafford, with both Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur lining up bids.
They quote an "Old Trafford source" as saying:
"United are happy to let him go but would prefer it was to a club that won’t be fighting for a Champions League place by the end of the season. But the reality is that there are plenty of top clubs who will be very interested in signing Danny."
This is all rather sad stuff. Though Welbeck is often criticised as a player who runs around and doesn't contribute a great deal else, TBB vehemently disagrees. Even in pre-season he shone in van Gaal's new tactical system, where his intelligent movement, link-up play and pace helped United to some impressive victories. If he gets regular, first-team football, he'll probably shine.
If there is a tiny shred of good news to come from all of this, it means that we'll be keeping on another fan favourite, Javier Hernández, and talented youngster James Wilson could well see more first team action.