5 young talents who were more valuable than Cristiano Ronaldo in 2004

#3 Fernando Torres - €25m

Barcelona v Atletico Madrid - La Liga

When Cristiano Ronaldo was more of a winger full of trickery and skill at his disposal, his stats were quite average. It was only in his third season at Manchester United that Cristiano Ronaldo reached double-figure goal contributions in the Premier League.

Meanwhile, a 20-year old Fernando Torres was punching way above his weight and racking goals with effortlessness. Hence, the higher market value for him made absolute sense. It is a popular belief that the Spanish striker, who completed his first spell with Atletico Madrid in 2007 was already a legend in their books by then.

Torres captained Los Rojiblancos at the age of just 19. Where Cristiano Ronaldo was going to take another few seasons to attain a certain maturity, the Spaniard was already leading by example. By 2004, Torres had already left his mark in La Liga, scoring 13 goals in the 2002-03 campaign. He followed it up with a 20 goal haul in 2003-04.

He finished just five goals behind eventual Pichichi winner Ronaldo Nazario's goal tally that season.

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#2 Jose Antonio Reyes - €35m

Arsenal Unveil New Signing Jose Reyes

For many, Jose Antonio Reyes is an example of unfulfilled potential, where there was so much that could have been. But there was so little that transpired on-field. In early 2000s, the Spaniard made a name for himself by playing at Sevilla. He wasn't the prolific or talismanic forward that the quoted price would suggest, but Reyes had his own way of shining.

Reyes had a slightly similar style to Cristiano Ronaldo when employed on the wing, but only slightly. The urgency to deliver crosses and make runs behind defenders was becoming more instinctual. His stats were never too overwhelming for Sevilla, but for a young prospect, he was doing pretty well.

Reyes, after his two consecutive eight-goal seasons in La Liga, was signed by Arsenal, as Arsene Wenger described him as one for the future. There were occasions when those in English football believed that Reyes was the Prince of Highbury.

The 2004-05 season was the most prolific of the Spanish forward's club career. He scored 12 goals and provided 13 assists in all competitions. Clearly the market was a shallow predictor when it priced Reyes almost double the price of Cristiano Ronaldo.

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#1 Wayne Rooney - €37m

Wayne Rooney was more prominent to United when he arrived a year after Cristiano Ronaldo

There can't be many surprises at the fact that Wayne Rooney was the most valuable youth prospect in football back in 2004. He was valued at double the price of Cristiano Ronaldo, his teammate from Manchester United. A fundamental reason for that was their playing styles and positions.

Rooney was employed as a centre-forward who was deadly and clinical with his finishing, while the Portuguese was employed on the wing. The English forward had already proven his capabilities in the Premier League during his time at Everton and his short spell with the Red Devils. Cristiano Ronaldo, on the other hand, had a lot of ground to cover in that aspect.

Manchester United paid €37m for the Everton wonderkid who was just 18 at the time. In his very first season with the Red Devils, he showcased that every penny spent was worth it. He scored 17 goals and laid eight assists in 41 appearances.

It can be argued that it was in fact the presence of Rooney and the attention that the English media gave him which motivated Cristiano Ronaldo.