Man Utd’s No7s have scored just 14 Premier League goals since Cristiano Ronaldo joined Real Madrid 10 years ago today
MANCHESTER UNITED have never replaced Cristiano Ronaldo – and the stats prove it.
The Portuguese star left Old Trafford in June 2009 for Real Madrid for a then-world record fee of £80million.
The Spanish giants were clearly delighted to have bagged the Galactico of all Galacticos – while United were wondering how the hell they could replace him.
Incredibly since CR7 departed these shores, five players have taken over the No7 shirt at Manchester United.
And they have scored an abysmal 14 Premier League goals between them.
First in the shirt was Michael Owen, and despite being considered a lethal finisher, he scored just five goals in 31 Prem appearances.
VALENCIA SWITCHED POSITIONS
While 25 were off the bench, it wasn’t quite the return many expected.
Next in the No7 shirt was Antonio Valencia. The Ecuadorian joined as a winger but was soon shifted to full back.
But playing out wide he notched just once in the 2012/13 season.
For the following campaign Angel Di Maria was handed the famous No7 – with many fans believing the club had FINALLY replaced Ronaldo.
STRAIGHT OUT MEMPHIS
But what they got was a moody left-winger who flitted in and out of games and was sold after just one miserable season – scoring just three goals.
Dutch star Memphis Depay was next in the shirt, but scored just twice in 16 starts and 13 from the bench.
It appeared too much too soon for the man signed from PSV Eindhoven, and left for Lyon after a season-and-a-half.
And perhaps the biggest disappointment is United’s current No7 – Alexis Sanchez.
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Fans were falling over themselves when the club managed to bring him in from Arsenal on a swap deal for Henrikh Mkhitaryan.
But the player simply isn’t the same one who terrorised Premier League defences from his North London base.
He has netted a paltry three goals from 32 Premier League games, and is rumoured to be out of boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s long-term plans.
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