Former Manchester United captain Rio Ferdinand has questioned the sensibility of the club letting Danny Welbeck move to Arsenal for only £16 million in an interview with The Sun, in which he talked up the quality of his former teammate.

He went as far as calling the Man Utd hierarchy “mad” for letting him move to a Champions League rival, given the extent to which the former England defender rates the current international.

Ferdinand also said that Welbeck could help Arsenal reach another level, and that his move to the north London club could be good news for the English national side, as Welbeck might end up playing far more regularly.

He said: “I cannot believe United let Danny go, especially to Arsenal, that seems mad to me.

“He’s a real threat to defenders and, if Arsenal use him right, he will be very dangerous for them. That will be good news for England, too, because if he is playing regularly that has to benefit the national team.

“Danny has everything to be a top player. English football has yet to see what he can really do because he hasn’t been getting a run of games.

“At Arsenal he will be the main man and I have no doubt he will flourish. Imagine the pace Arsenal will have when everyone is fit.”

The ex-Leeds United player moved to Queens Park Rangers this summer, in a bid to shore up their defence. It has not been a success as of yet, although to Ferdinand’s credit, the defender has had to deal with a switch to a three man defence, something he has infrequently encountered in his career thus far.