Former centre-back Rio Ferdinand said that Manchester United made a big mistake by allowing the likes of Jonny Evans, Javier Hernandez and Danny Welbeck to leave the club when they did, claiming Welbeck is still 'good enough' to play for United now.
Following Sir Alex Ferguson's retirement at the end of the 2012/13 season, it wasn't long before the landscape of United's squad started to change, first under David Moyes and then under Louis van Gaal. Hernandez left United just over a year after Ferguson's exit, joining Real Madrid on a season-long loan in September 2014.
Welbeck exited Old Trafford on the same day, joining Premier League rivals Arsenal. Van Gaal later revealed that he allowed the striker to leave M16 because he felt that he didn't have the qualities to play for a club of United's stature.
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Evans, who was recently relegated to the Championship with Leicester City, left United a year later, joining West Bromwich Albion in August 2015. The Northern Irishman made almost 200 appearances for United, more than 150 of which came under Ferguson.
And it was United's decision to sell the likes of Evans and Welbeck that infuriated Ferdinand, who believes the club ripped the 'lifeblood' out of the club by allowing them to leave.
"One of the big things they messed up on… they sold the Da Silva twins [Fabio and Rafael], they sold Welbeck, they sold Chicharito, Jonny Evans, all in a short space of time," Ferdinand told the Vibe with Five podcast. "They were the lifeblood of United, they all came through the system, all United boys, and that was lost as well.
"That was a part of what the club had been built on before, people who would come through the academy were integral to everything United stood for. And they were getting rid of those players willy-nilly, I couldn't believe the club even allowed it."
Asked if those players were good enough to stay at Old Trafford at the time of their exits, Ferdinand continued: "Yes. Welbeck's good enough now, Chicharito 100 per cent, Rafa and Fabio Da Silva, what they did at United they could've done that for the rest of their careers, 100 per cent.
"Jonny Evans was one of the biggest travesties in that time to have left. He should never have been allowed to leave the club. He was the best centre-half at the club when we all left.
"[Chris] Smalling's had a great career, don't get me wrong, but Jonny Evans is a better player, 100 per cent."
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