Young is the latest Manchester United legend to express disappointment over Welbeck's move to Chelsea.

The striker signed a two-year deal with Chelsea last month after an impressive season with Brighton.

Young and Welbeck were teammates in the Old Trafford dressing room for three seasons at the end of Ferguson's tenure before the striker was sold to Arsenal.

Welbeck then had a successful career at the Emirates, followed by stints at Sunderland, Watford, and most recently Brighton.

The 32-year-old had arguably his best season at the Amex last season, scoring 14 goals, which led to calls for his inclusion in England's World Cup squad.

However, Welbeck failed to make Tuchel's 26-man squad, though his performance was highly praised by new Chelsea coach Enzo Maresca.

Young is happy for his former teammate, but he also has some regrets, believing that Welbeck could have returned to Manchester United.

"Chelsea have certainly signed some good players, and they need some experience in their squad," Young said in an interview with talkSPORT at the launch of the Topps Flagship Premier League 2026/27 trading card series.

"He's a very good friend of mine, Welbeck. I've been chatting with him over the last few weeks."

When asked if Welbeck was excited to start the new season at Stamford Bridge, Young said: "Of course, he's excited. He's very happy to join Chelsea, especially at this stage of his career."

"He's proven himself time and time again.

"Could he have been on the plane to the World Cup? For me, I might say with a bit of bias that he should have gone, but he didn't make the cut."

"He's always performed well, and to be honest, I'm sad he didn't return to Manchester United."

Before the move to west London, former Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand had eagerly called for the star to return to Old Trafford.

Ferdinand wrote on social media: "Welbeck... never mind the rest, come back! Manchester has Champions League football next season."

Former Manchester United captain Gary Neville expressed the same sentiment, believing the club should not have sold Welbeck to Arsenal in 2014.

"I said 10 years ago that Manchester United should not have sold Danny Welbeck. He's done incredibly well since he left," Neville told Sky Sports.

"He's currently enjoying a period of excellent form at the end of his career, but he's a very good player. I played with him and worked with him as a coach for England, and he performed exceptionally for England.

"He's always done well in the Premier League. For Chelsea, it's a good signing and will provide a real option for their front line."

After emerging from the club's academy during Ferguson's tenure, Welbeck quickly became frustrated under David Moyes during the 2013/14 season.

This was partly due to being played on the left wing, where he couldn't showcase his true abilities.

Under Louis van Gaal, his opportunities as a central striker further diminished, with Welbeck benched for the first three games after the Dutchman's arrival.

This ultimately led to his departure for Arsenal, where he scored 32 goals and helped Wenger's team lift the FA Cup twice.

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