Arsenal Transfer News: Danny Welbeck's Time to Shine Starts with Manchester City

Danny Welbeck's lovers and critics have switched allegiances after his transfer deadline-day move from Manchester United to Arsenal.

As Red Devils fans search for reasons to justify why a product of the United youth academy was sold to their famous southern rivals, many Gunners supporters have suddenly developed a new-found love for the English forward.

Louis van Gaal is one man who remains unmoved by the situation, as highlighted during his pre-match press conference ahead of United's Sunday fixture with Queens Park Rangers. Van Gaal spoke of Welbeck failing to meet his goalscoring "standard," providing perfect fuel for the hard-working player to begin repaying Arsene Wenger's faith with a significant performance against Manchester City during Saturday's early clash.

Kirsty Wigglesworth/Associated Press

Van Gaal highlighted Welbeck's shortcomings in brutal fashion on Thursday—twisting the knife with Radamel Falcao's presence sat alongside him—as reported by Daniel Taylor of The Guardian:  

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Yes, Danny Welbeck was here from when he was nine. He has played, after [his 2010-11 loan at] Sunderland, three seasons at Manchester United but he doesn’t have the record of [Robin] Van Persie or [Wayne] Rooney and that is the standard. That is why we let him go – because of Falcao but also the youngsters who can fit in.

"

Welbeck's task is to now force his old manager into regretting his decision to sell. Van Gaal's lack of sentimentality underlines the Dutchman's cut-throat nature: Welbeck hasn't delivered on his primary task for United—that of scoring goals—so the boss will find someone else who can. When the 23-year-old runs out in front of his new fans on Saturday lunchtime, he must sharpen his ability to slot balls away.

United fans will outline Welbeck's performance during the 2012-13 Champions League contests with Real Madrid as his finest in the red shirt. His header during the first leg opened the scoring, while his tactical awareness and ability to man-mark opposition out of the game allowed the side to head back to Old Trafford with a positive result.

Welbeck is regularly a big-game player for England. His two goals during Monday's victory over Switzerland—one shinned in almost calamitous fashion—rounded off an excellent Three Lions performance. Prior to this, his fantastically improvised finish against Sweden kept England in the hunt at Euro 2012.

He has been extremely useful on the international stage and in bursts during his club career, but now is the time to add goalscoring consistency. Welbeck will be listening to his old associates and knows a goal against City would serve as the perfect retort to his £16 million sale, per BBC Sport.

Former United right-back and current England coach Gary Neville believes United have "helped out a competitor" with Welbeck's sale, a deal he says is a "strange one," per talkSPORT (h/t Jeremy Wilson of The Telegraph).

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While it almost certainly wouldn't have happened under Sir Alex Ferguson, and David Moyes would have most likely kept Welbeck for his industry, Van Gaal's ruthlessness has allowed Wenger the opportunity to dramatically improve a player whose potential is obvious.

Now is the time for Welbeck to offer more than relentless energy and selflessness to the team. He needs to be selfish in a central role and finally bang home regular Premier League goals. This is the criteria with which he will, and already has, been judged.

Welbeck should head into his Arsenal debut with full confidence after his international exploits. He has a fresh start unlike many other former United players, with the chance to make a real difference for the Manchester club's bitter rivals.

Should he produce the goods in front of a crowd who would have swatted him away two weeks ago, Wenger's perhaps underwhelming end to the transfer window will prove to be a stroke of genius.