MANCHESTER UNITED sold Cristiano Ronaldo to Real Madrid in the summer of 2009 for the then world record of 80 million pounds.
The Red Devils have reinvested that money NINE (one and a half) players rebuilding without the Portuguese superstar.
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Man Utd took in £ 80million for Cristiano Ronaldo in 2009 – but how did they reinvest that money?Photo credit: Reuters
However, it is still unclear whether the huge sum of money was well invested.
There have been some big hits and some bigger failures.
Check out the £ 80m worth of talent set to fill the Ronaldo-shaped void below …
ANTONIO VALENCIA – £ 18 million
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Antonio Valencia made almost a quarter of Wigan’s Ronaldo money at £ 18million. the endImage credit: AFP
Valencia, a FLYING winger at Wigan, should be an equivalent replacement for Ronaldo – without the productive eye for goal.
And although he was ultimately formed into a right-back – contrary to original plans – the Ecuadorian was undoubtedly a hit at Old Trafford.
Valencia played well over 300 times for United and even enjoyed a stint as club captain before leaving in 2019.
Total expenditure: £ 18m
MICHAEL OWEN – Free of charge
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Michael Owen came in the same summer that Ronaldo went free, but barely filled the gapImage credit: AFP
To make up for the loss of Ronaldo’s goals, Sir Alex Ferguson brought Owen on from a Newcastle free kick – and even gave him the Portuguese ace’s 7th jersey.
Given his Liverpool roots, it’s a controversial commitment that Owen – only 29 at this point – should score a few goals from the bench.
The ex-England star will always have a place in the hearts of United fans after his dramatic last-minute win in the 4-3 epic over Manchester City.
But Owen has only scored three goals for the Red Devils that season and joined Stoke in 2012 with just five goals in the Premier League.
Total expenditure: £ 18m
GABRIEL OBERTAN – £ 3.6m
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Gabriel Obertan was another summer flop in 2009 after Ronaldo’s departurePhoto credit: PA: Press Association
CHEAP? Yes. High potential? Seemingly? Ability. Uh, not really.
Fergie cheered the Frenchman after signing the “exciting prospect” for less than £ 4m from Bordeaux – and said he has been chasing him “for a number of years”.
Obertan struggled with injuries – and form – before being sold to Newcastle after two terrible seasons.
The French flop later played for Anzhi Makhachkala, Wigan and Levski Sofia.
Obertan is now playing for the Turkish second division club Erzurumpspor.
Since joining United in 2009, Obertan has only scored 13 league goals … in 12 years.
Total expenditure: £ 21.6m
MAME BIRAM DIOUF – £ 4.1m
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Mame Biram Diouf only managed one Man Utd goal before being sold to HannoverPhoto credit: Getty
DIOUF was United’s fourth and final purchase of the window in 2009 when Fergie signed a number of attackers to fill Ronaldo’s void.
After a loan from Molde – from which United signed him – Diouf returned and quickly picked up Carlos Tevez’s # 32 shirt.
But the Senegalese striker couldn’t just impress ONE Goal in five games and was sold to Hannover in the winter of 2012 before returning to England in 2014 to spend six years at Stoke.
Diouf now plays for the Turkish Super Lig club Hatayspor.
Total expenditure: £ 25.7 million
BABY – £ 7.9m
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Man Utd signed Bebe after never seeing him play, Ferguson later admittedPhoto credit: PA: Press Association
FERGUSON admitted that he had never seen Bebe play … that should have been the first red flag.
Bebe only played twice for United – both in his debut 2010-11 season – and was loaned out three times before selling him in 2014.
The former Portugal U21 international is currently set to play in LaLiga in 2021-22 after Rayo Vallecano – where he has been since 2017 – was promoted last season.
Bebe was still only 31 but scored six goals in 26 Segunda Division games last season en route to promotion.
But for Bebe he will be remembered forever as a club flop in the same league as Eric Djemba-Djemba and Kleberson.
Total expenditure: £ 33.6m
CHRIS KLEINER – £ 7.2m
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Smalling joined Man Utd from Fulham in 2010 and spent nearly a decade at the clubPhoto credit: Bradley Ormesher – The Times
AFTER a meteoric rise from Maidstone United to Fulham, United signed Smalling in 2010 after two years in West London.
Though never a Nemanja Vidic or Rio Ferdinand, the ex-England ace was a solid player for United for Fergie and later for David Moyes, Louis van Gaal – who once called him “Mike” – and Jose Mourinho.
Smalling made over 300 appearances for United and won all of his 31 caps at Old Trafford.
The defender flourished on loan with Roma in 2019-20 before making a solid profit last summer, selling him for £ 18.1million.
Total expenditure: £ 40.8m
JAVIER HERNANDEZ – £ 6.8m
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Hernandez was more of a cult icon than a Man Utd superstarPhoto credit: Times Newspapers Ltd
AFTER 13 years with Mexico’s Guadalajara, United signed Hernandez for a bargain in 2010.
He scored 59 goals in 152 games in his first four seasons before being loaned to Real Madrid in 2014 and sold to Bayer Leverkusen in 2015.
Hernandez recently spent a little more than two seasons at West Ham before moving to Sevilla – and now plays for MLS team LA Galaxy.
Total expenditure: £ 47.6m
ANDERS LINDEGAARD - £ 4.5m
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Anders Lindegaard could seldom get a taste of Man utd because he played second and even third violinPhoto credit: Mark Robinson – The Sun
Bought by the Norwegian club Aalesund in the winter of 2010/11, Lindegaard played third fiddle behind Edwin van der Sar and Tomasz Kuszczak.
His cause was not greatly helped by the arrival of David de Gea the following year.
In total, the Danish international made five appearances in five seasons and only made 19 appearances in the Premier League before he was sold to West Brom.
Lindegaard later played for Preston and Burnley before moving to Helsingborg, where he still plays at the age of 37.
Total expenditure: £ 52.1m
ASHLEY JUNG – £ 17 million
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Ashley Young spent nearly a decade at Old Trafford before returning to Aston Villa via Inter MilanPhoto credit: Graham Hughes – The Times
After four years in the first teams of Watford and Aston Villa, United Young signed in the summer of 2011 at the height of his strength.
Pacey, and a real threat of dead-ball situations at Villa Park, United fans hoped he would be the closest to the Ronaldo they’d seen since his departure.
But similar to Valencia, the fast winger was later pushed back to the full-back by the Old Trafford bosses.
Young played nearly 200 Premier League games over eight and a half seasons before joining Inter Milan – first on loan and then permanently.
The 39-strong England star returned to Villa earlier this summer.
Total expenditure: £ 69.1m
COMPETITION: RECEIVE THE BALL TO WIN A CAR AND CASH
… AND HALF OF DAVID DE GEA
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Man Utd spent £ 22.5million on De Gea in 2011, almost half of which was covered by Ronaldo cashPhoto credit: Alan Walter – The Times
With £ 10.9m left in Ronaldo’s budget two years after his departure, United splashed £ 22.5m on a young Spanish stopper named De Gea from Atletico Madrid.
We think it’s fair that we credit the club with using the remaining Ronaldo cash on behalf of the goalkeeper.
De Gea has been incredible for Man Utd, of course, despite a slight wobble over the past few seasons … and a shaky start that included a number of high profile bugs and was accused of stealing a donut from a Tesco store.
The Spaniard was named United’s Player of the Year THREE Times during their toughest era lately and will go down as one of their cheapest signings of all time.
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