Arsenal signed Danny Welbeck from Manchester United after Arsene Wenger received a glowing recommendation from his old rival Sir Alex Ferguson.
United manager Louis van Gaal was criticised for selling Welbeck to the Gunners in a £16 million deal on the final day of the 2014 summer transfer window.
Welbeck’s departure caused a stir at the time as he had been at United since the age of nine, with former teammates including Rio Ferdinand, Gary Neville and Paul Scholes questioning the club’s decision.
According to Squawka, Wenger decided to press ahead with the deal – completed in the final hours of deadline day – following a phone conversation with Ferguson about the England international’s qualities.
Wenger and Ferguson had been involved in several heated clashes as managerial rivals but their relationship thawed towards the end of the Scot’s time at Old Trafford.
Ferguson, who nurtured Welbeck as a youngster and tipped him for stardom, told Wenger that he would be mad not to complete the transfer.
He explained that Welbeck only needed to be told something once on the training pitch and was a rapid learner who would follow instructions perfectly. He also complimented Welbeck’s energy, work rate and team ethic.
Ferguson had often used Welbeck in big matches, notably at the expense of Wayne Rooney in the second leg of their Champions League quarter-final tie against Real Madrid in 2013.
Van Gaal, clearly, did not agree with Ferguson’s assessment as he insisted he did not regret selling Welbeck because the striker was “more a substitute than a line-up player”.
“Welbeck doesn’t have the record of Robin van Persie or Wayne Rooney,” Van Gaal said at the time.
“We let him go because of [Radamel] Falcao, but also to allow the youngsters to fit in. That is the policy. That is why I am here.”
Van Persie and Falcao have since left Old Trafford, as well as fellow forward Javier Hernandez, while youngster James Wilson is currently on loan at Championship side Brighton until the end of the season.
Welbeck scored eight goals in 34 appearances in all competitions during his first season with the Gunners before missing most of the current campaign with a knee injury.
Since returning in February, the 25-year-old has netted three times in seven Premier League matches.
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