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#3 Memphis Depay
The Dutchman was heavily compared to Cristiano Ronaldo as well as compatriot Arjen Robben at the time of his transfer to Manchester United. The Red Devils beat a host of clubs to secure his signature for £25 million back in 2015.
The fact that Depay chose the number 7 – famously worn by the Portuguese during his time at Old Trafford – did little to quell those comparisons.
Despite a promising start, including some incredible Champions League showings, Depay’s career faltered. This was partly due to his flashy lifestyle, as pointed out by former players Wayne Rooney and Ryan Giggs. After falling out of favor under Van Gaal’s successor Jose Mourinho, Depay was sold to French side Lyon in a deal rising to £22 million.
The Dutchman saw his form return after his move to Lyon, where he has become an integral player who regularly gets on the scoresheet. He was heavily linked with Barcelona during both recent transfer windows.
Barca boss Ronald Koeman – who coached Depay for the national team – confirmed his interest in the player and may very well return for him this summer.
While he’s no Cristiano Ronaldo, Depay – who deserves every plaudit for brilliantly turning his career around – might very well get a shot at greatness if his move to Spain does materialize.
#2 Adnan Januzaj
Adnan Januzaj was one player who Manchester United fans hoped would make the grade. The youngster was heavily compared to Cristiano Ronaldo during his time as an outrageously talented rookie. He even won United’s prestigious Denzil Haroun Reserve Player of the Year award shortly before making his first-team debut.
That he shared a birthday with the Portuguese superstar did little to quell the hype. Now, David Moyes’ ill-fated spell in the Old Trafford hotseat was dismal, for lack of a better word, but Januzaj was undoubtedly the brightest spark.
Such was the hype surrounding Januzaj, who scored an incredible brace in his first league start against Sunderland, that he was the topic of every pundit and tabloid. The media frenzy culminated in a BBC Young Sports Personality of the Year nomination just 10 games into his United career.
The Belgian also caused a war of sorts over his international allegiance, with Belgium (his country of birth), Albania (due to him being of Albanian descent), Kosovo, Serbia, Turkey, Croatia and even England all vying for his representation. Januzaj ultimately chose Belgium.
Despite a bright start, Januzaj could never kick on at Old Trafford. After failed loan spells with Borussia Dortmund and Sunderland, he made a move to Real Sociedad.
The 26-year-old has forged a decent career at Sociedad and could very well see his stock rise even further, but it’s safe to say that he’s nowhere close to the level Cristiano Ronaldo was at his age.
#1 Gabriel Obertan
2009 was a sad year for the Old Trafford faithful. They had to endure the heartbreak of seeing Ronaldo – then revered as a god – secure his dream move to Real Madrid.
Going to replace him, if that’s ever possible, was going to be a herculean task. It fell to Antonio Valencia – signed from Wigan Athletic – and a 20-year-old French winger signed from Bordeaux named Gabriel Obertan.
The Frenchman possessed undoubted talent and had three full seasons of top flight football under his belt. But he was hampered by injuries throughout his career. Sir Alex Ferguson said of Obertan:
"We've monitored Gabriel since he was 16 years of age and he was probably the most sought-after youngster in Europe. His form dipped a little last year, possibly due to an injury, but he's regained that form and was fantastic against England under-21s earlier this year."
Unfortunately, Obertan picked up a spinal problem shortly after his signing that kept him out of action for a month. When his Premier League debut finally came, in the form of a substitute appearance against Blackburn Rovers, Obertan showed plenty of promise. But he missed the chance to score a simple tap-in – which was the only thing people harped on.
Nevertheless, the youngster went on to put in some strong performances thereafter. He ended his first season with a respectable 13 appearances.
Sadly, further injuries hampered Obertan’s second season with the club. By the time the 2011-2012 season came round, the writing was on the wall – Obertan was going to be nowhere near as good as Cristiano Ronaldo.
So after just two seasons at Old Trafford, Obertan was shipped off to Newcastle United, where he was again hampered by injuries. He now plies his trade at Turkish outfit Erzurumspor after pit stops in Russia, a second one in England and Bulgaria, along the way.
