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It has been nine years since Cristiano Ronaldo left Manchester United to join Real Madrid. The Portuguese spent nine glorious years at the Bernabeu before moving to Juventus. United fans have spent all these years waiting for the Portuguese to return simply because his replacement hasn’t been found yet.
Over the years many players have come and gone but not a single one could fill in Ronaldo's boots at Manchester United.
Even the legendary Sir Alex couldn’t find a man capable enough to carry the legacy of the famous No. 7 shirt worn by club legends like George Best, Eric Cantona, David Beckham and Cristiano Ronaldo.
Ronaldo was probably the last man to wear the No. 7 jersey who old Trafford devotees consider as a legend. Legend word might not be enough to describe the Portuguese skipper’s greatness.
His legacy can be described by how many youngsters have been tipped to become the next Ronaldo.
It says a lot about a player when a highly rated youngster at one of the biggest clubs in the world is tipped to be his successor but that is what Cristiano Ronaldo has been throughout his career- a phenomenon.
Here we present to you the top five youngsters who were tipped become the next Cristiano Ronaldo but the search still goes on and on.
#1 Gabriel Obertan
In 2009 Sir Alex Ferguson signed a speedy French player who went by the name of Gabriel Obertan.
Obertan arrived from French club Bordeaux and was tipped to be the next big thing. Unfortunately for Obertan and Manchester United things didn’t work out as they should have. The Frenchman spent two seasons at Old Trafford and failed to make an impact.
When Obertan arrived, the whole media, newspapers and every possible source of football news had just one headline- IS OBERTAN THE NEXT RONALDO?
That was the last time Obertan had the privilege to be compared with Cristiano Ronaldo as his stay with Manchester United wasn’t convincing at all.
The Frenchman played 28 times for the red devils before being sold to premier league rivals Newcastle United.
Sir Alex didn’t prefer to sell players to rival teams but Obertan's return of one goal in 28 appearances didn’t worry the Scotsman much.
#2 Bebe
On 16th August 2010 manchester united announced the signing of Javier Hernandez, Chris Smalling and a young kid from Portugal- Bebe. While the former two succeded, Bebe failed miserably.
At 6’3” the towering Portuguese forward had every ingredient to be a hit. United fans thought they got another Portuguese superstar who will emulate his national compatriot’s deeds at Old Trafford. Unfortunately what United fans got were four years of a torrid spell by Bebe.
Bebe spent the majority of his Manchester United career on loan at clubs like Besiktas, Rio Ave, and Pacos de Ferreira. In four years, the Portuguese forward played just seven times before being sold to Spanish side Eibar. Bebe’s disastrous outing with red devils came to an end in 2014 and the search for next Ronaldo went on.
#3 Wilfred Zaha
The last signing made by Sir Alex Ferguson was Wilfred Zaha from crystal palace. The signing of Zaha excited the United fans owing to his playing style on the left side.
Zaha had speed and was well capable of beating defenders and providing crosses into the box.
But the Ivorian started his Manchester United career under David Moyes which didn’t work out for anybody let alone Zaha.
The Ivorian spent two years at Manchester United during which he spent three loan spells at Crystal Palace (twice) and Cardiff city.
When Zaha arrived, United supporters were excited to see the winger play for United especially because his playing style is similar to a certain Ronaldo.
Unfortunately, things didn’t work out well for Zaha as he only played four times for the red devils and failed to make an impact. He was sold back to his former club crystal palace.
#4 Adnan Januzaj
Possibly the best contribution of David Moyes to Manchester United was the introduction of Adnan Januzaj.
The Belgian burst onto the scene at Old Trafford as he scored a brace on his debut against Sunderland to help United grab three points.
His man of the match performance against Sunderland on debut remains his best performance in a United shirt as his form dipped in upcoming seasons and things turned sour for Januzaj.
His early performances saw him being compared to young Ronaldo and maybe the pressure got the better of him as he looked like a one trick pony most often.
Adnan spent loan spells with Borussia Dortmund and Sunderland before finally being sold to Spanish side- Real Sociedad.
His departure marked the end of another chapter in the long going next Ronaldo at Manchester United book.
#5 Memphis Depay
And the man who many consider as one of the worst signings by Manchester United- Memphis Depay.
Louis van Gaal signed Depay from PSV and it the rest are missed chances and disappointing performances. He was given the prestigious No. 7 jersey and was expected to reach new heights with the club.
The man tipped to become the next Ronaldo did show promise but his lack of goals and consistency ended his spell at Manchester United after just two seasons.
With a lot of skills in his bag along with devastating pace, it’s a shame Memphis didn’t prove to be a good signing for Manchester United.
Depay was thought to be the closest in comparison to a young Ronaldo at Manchester United, owing to his skills, pace, and freekick scoring rate.
But as they say certain things are not meant to be and Depay’s stay at United was certainly one of them.
