The Red Devils spent nearly £150 million on new players this summer.
Former Manchester United assistant manager Mike Phelan believes his old club have “broken their identity” by selling Danny Welbeck.
Welbeck left United for Arsenal in a £16 million deadline day move, with the Red Devils signing Radamel Falcao as his replacement.
Phelan feels that United have “broken their identity” by selling Welbeck and have turned into a club who are more interested in buying big name players rather than producing them through their youth system.
Welbeck had been with United since he was a child, but the total price to borrow Falcao for a year, including his wages, amounts to less than the fee received for the Englishman.
“They have probably lost the way of Manchester United a little bit,” Phelan told BBC Sport.
“Now, rather than produce, it may be the case where they are buying in.”
He added: “Someone like a Danny Welbeck has been part of United’s identity and that has been broken”.
Former United star David Beckham has also voiced his disappointment at the sale of Welbeck but hopes that United’s youth system will continue to give Louis Van Gaal home grown players to pick.
“Manchester United have always bought players in but also have great scouting system which Sir Alex Ferguson put in quite a few years ago where we did create home-grown talent and that is something we have done over the years,” he said.
“I think Louis van Gaal is a talented manager, he is well respected and with Manchester United this is a project that will hopefully last for a few years and be a successful one.
“Hopefully we have still got young players coming through.”
Monday wasn’t a great day for United’s young players. Tom Lawrence, Nick Powell and Michael Keane all left before the transfer window closed, either on loan or permanently.
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