Former Manchester United striker Dwight Yorke has described the club's decision to sell Danny Welbeck to Arsenal during the summer as "a real error".

Manchester-born Welbeck will come up against United for the first time this evening since his August departure.

He has gone on to score just two Premier League goals for the Gunners, but ahead of the clash at the Emirates Stadium, Yorke has criticised United boss Louis van Gaal for offloading the England international to a direct rival "for peanuts".

"It would not have happened in Sir Alex's time. The only time players were allowed to leave the club was when they were in decline. He would never have taken a young up and coming player like Danny Welbeck coming through and sold him for peanuts," Yorke told The Express.

"Certainly, Van Gaal's assistant Ryan Giggs might be scratching his head and, we don't know, he may have had his say. I'm sure he has, knowing Giggsy. Whether the manager is taking it on board is a different question, though. I know as a number two there is only so much you can do and the buck always stops with the manager and he makes those calls.

"Either way, it is a real error from the club's point of view and the manager is the one who must take responsibility for players coming and going, but Van Gaal seems assured in himself and gives the impression he knows what he is doing."

Welbeck found the net on 29 occasions during his 142 outings for United in all competitions.