Gary Neville has criticised Manchester United’s transfer policy, branding the sale of Danny Welbeck as strange and accusing the club of lacking control.

Welbeck was sold to Arsenal for £16m on the final day of the summer window and Neville believes that this was too cheap and he also questioned why the striker had been allowed to strengthen a direct rival. For the former captain this completed a scattergun transfer policy that brought in Ángel di María for a record £59.7m plus Radamel Falcao, Marcos Rojo, Daley Blind, Luke Shaw and Ander Herrera.

“It’s not the way I would expect United to go about their business; I always expected it to be a lot more controlled,” Neville, an England coach, told TalkSport.

He said he was struggling to understand the Welbeck deal. “I thought the Danny Welbeck sale was a strange one. I can’t work it out. After all the prices I’ve seen paid this summer and, obviously I’ve been working with him the last week, I’m thinking: ‘How is it just £16m?’

“There’s been right-backs and left-backs galore who have been bought for £15m, £14m, £13m this summer. How have they got him for £16m? I can’t work it out to this day. It really does feel strange that it’s a centre-forward and actually it’s helped out a competitor, someone who will be vying for those third and fourth places with United this season. I’m struggling to understand the logic behind the deal in two or three ways really.”

Neville believes that United have not only undervalued Welbeck but overpaid for the players who have joined. He said he was excited, though, by the “world-class” arrivals, and in particular Falcao.

“The fans were asking big questions a month ago and now the Falcao one just tipped them over the edge. Di María was a big signing but the Falcao one came completely out of left field and surprised and shocked everybody.

“How they get Rooney, Di María, RVP [Van Persie], Falcao, Herrera, Januzaj and Mata into that team I don’t know.

“In one sense I am excited because they have signed world-class players. People jumped on the bandwagon last year and said they wouldn’t attract players. But they have a massive commercial operation. They have overpaid, there is no doubt about that, but they have proven people will still go there.

“Now Louis van Gaal has to mould them into the team. He asked for three months but I doubt he expected to see what’s happened at the start of the season. Pre-season probably lulled him into a false sense of security. They have to get the performances right.”

United have so far taken only two points from their opening three league matches and Van Gaal has yet to register a win since becoming manager with Queens Park Rangers visiting Old Trafford on Sunday.