Manchester United wanted to sign a new centre-forward after a strong push from the director of football Jason Wilcox.
Liam Delap was at the top of their shortlist, but the young striker turned them down for Chelsea, swayed by the lure of European football that was missing at Old Trafford.
United eventually signed Benjamin Sesko, one of the highly-rated strikers in the world, from RB Leipzig.
The Athletic have now revealed that the Red Devils explored conditions for bringing Danny Welbeck back.
They considered making a proposal to Welbeck for a contract until 2027, should they agree on a fee with Brighton & Hove Albion, but the offer was not formalised.
Welbeck rose through the United academy and burst into the first team at only 17.
He went on to net 28 goals in 118 appearances for United before sealing a move to Arsenal in 2014.
Welbeck stayed for five years at the Emirates and proved to be a dependable alternative.
Now at Brighton, the striker has enjoyed a new lease of life, racking up 37 goals in 164 outings.
The 34-year-old has had a very stable career, though he never quite scaled the heights once predicted for him as a teenager at United.
He enjoyed his best-ever Premier League season last term, netting 10 goals and recording four assists.
A United reunion would have made sense in some respects but only if Rasmus Hojlund were not pushed out of Old Trafford.
Ultimately, United chose to invest in the potential of Sesko and the onus is now on the 22-year-old to deliver the goods at the Theatre of Dreams.
Old Trafford has long been a graveyard for promising superstars, but United’s gamble lies in the hope that Sesko can break that curse.
Stats from Fotmob.com