West Brom’s Darren Fletcher Blames Van Gaal For His United Exit
Reuters / Andrew Boyers
West Brom’s Darren Fletcher has revealed that Manchester United’s transfer business under former manager Louis van Gaal meant a lot of players who left should still be at Old Trafford.
The former Red Devils midfielder criticized the selling of Danny Welbeck, insisting it was a ‘sad day’ for everyone when the forward joined rivals Arsenal.
Van Gaal splashed out in excess of £250 million during his stint in charge of the Manchester giants, spending the cash on the likes of Angel di Maria, Anthony Martial and Memphis Depay.
During that time, high-profile players such as Welbeck, Wilfried Zaha, Patrice Evra and Fletcher all left United.
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Speaking in an interview with ESPN FC, the 33-year-old West Brom captain said he believes that things could have been very different at Old Trafford if van Gaal changed his strategy.
“Lots of players who left under Van Gaal should still be there in my view,” he said.
“That’s not me having a go at anyone, but the day Danny Welbeck was sold to Arsenal was a sad day.
“He is what a Manchester United player should be about – a local lad, young, great player, team player, somebody who sacrificed himself for the greater good of the team, loved by his teammates. He was on the brink of becoming a top, top player and he would have been a top player for United.”
Fletcher left United in 2015, while Van Gaal was in charge, to join West Brom, having made 342 appearances for the Red Devils.
Van Gaal, however, lasted slightly longer, and was shown the door by Manchester United not long after winning the FA Cup in May 2016.
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