Man United's Identity Intact Despite Welbeck's Departure and Falcao's Arrival

Deadline day 2014 has forever linked Danny Welbeck and Radamel Falcao. 

One striker, a Manchester-born academy graduate, left Old Trafford while another, an expensive foreign import, came in.

There are some Manchester United fans, more than just a few, who will tell you that selling Welbeck to Arsenal might turn out to be a mistake.

They are happy to see Falcao arrive. Of course they are. But there's still plenty of disappointment that Welbeck has been allowed to leave.

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It is, however, easy to dress it up as something it's not. To suggest that the two deals offer proof United have abandoned a policy of youth development to focus on buying their stars ready-made.

But that's not what's going on here. 

Louis van Gaal has been tasked with returning United to the Champions League quickly. He will eventually be expected to challenge for the Premier League title and the Champions League.

To do that, he has started making improvements to his squad. And he chose Falcao over Welbeck.

Van Gaal took the time to asses the squad he inherited from David Moyes. He spent three weeks with Welbeck in the United States, watching him in games against LA Galaxy, Roma and Inter Milan.

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The Dutchman has made a career out of judging players. And he's decided he'd rather have Falcao. Ultimately, his is the only opinion that matters.

But Welbeck's departure doesn't mean United's proud history of producing their own players is over. 

Already this season, Van Gaal has given a competitive debut to Tyler Blackett, Premier League debuts to Michael Keane and Jesse Lingard and included Reece James in his squad for games against Swansea, Sunderland and Burnley.

James, Marnick Vermijl and Saidy Janko all started the Capital One Cup tie against MK Dons. James Wilson has been kept at Old Trafford to challenge for a place in the first team.

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From the Busby Babes to Fergie's Fledglings, United have always tried to promote youth team players. But they have also always spent heavily to stay competitive.

Even Sir Matt Busby spent £29,999 on Tommy Taylor in 1953. When Sir Alex Ferguson put his faith in the Class of 92 at Villa Park in 1995, the team also included Gary Pallister and Roy Keane.

Pallister, the most expensive British defender when he signed from Middlesbrough for £2.3 million in 1989 and Keane, a British record signing when he arrived from Nottingham Forest for £3.75 million in 1993.

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United's identity, their soul, hasn't been smashed because one academy graduate has been replaced by an expensive signing. That the two deals were completed on the same day is a coincidence.

But you can argue that, as English football's most successful club, their identity is more moulded by winning trophies and titles than anything else.

And Van Gaal will say the decision to cut Welbeck loose and sign Falcao, one of many he made this summer, is designed to help United win trophies and titles.

It could be that he had United's "soul" in mind the whole time.