When Cristiano Ronaldo departed Manchester United in 2009 for a fee of £80m, it marked a landmark day in the world of football.
A new world-record price tag had been shelled out by the Spanish side in a deal that sent shockwaves throughout Europe.
Madrid meant business as they bought a global icon to the capital of Spain in the hope of rivalling the great Barcelona side of the time.
Remarakbly, such a price now would fetch you Harry Maguire. Even Moises Caicedo cost £35m this summer in a British record transfer.
Unsurprisingly United needed to find a replacement for Ronaldo but have very rarely ever come close.
It marks the tale of Gabriel Obertan then, a fascinating one.
How much did Man United sign Obertan for?
In a bid to replace a global superstar the summer Ronaldo left, Sir Alex Ferguson welcomed a certain Obertan to Old Trafford.
The riches that fell the way of the Red Devils were clearly being reserved for another time as a mere £3m was handed to Bordeaux in order to lure the French starlet away from Ligue 1.
He was very much a raw talent at the time, but coincidentally was also being eyed up by Arsene Wenger at Arsenal.
The transfer was barely a risk at such a price, as he joined alongside Michael Owen and Antonio Valencia, only to see his career never reach the dizzy peaks that were expected.
What was said about Obertan when he joined?
Joining in the same summer as Ronaldo left was never going to be ideal for the budding French forward who did his utmost to ensure comparisons between the two were players were kept to a minimum.
Unfortuantely, expectations were high for the now 34-year-old. He allegedly boasted high potential at that period in his career and arrived at United after positive endorsements from Ferguson's former defender Laurent Blanc.
Aged 20 at the time, he signed a four year deal in the north of England and acknowledged that it would take some doing to emulate the great Portuguese that had gone before him, saying: "But I know I still have a lot of work to do to get to Ronaldo's level."
He was also keen to downplay any similarities, noting in a separate interview: "I am not Ronaldo's successor. For now there is no comparison, I am just trying to be Gabriel Obertan. I have only been here for six months and I cannot do what he did in that time.”
The comparisons duly came, however, notably from one Manchester Evening News contributor who revealed several years later than he thought Obertan was "the perfect replacement for Cristiano Ronaldo."
At the time, it was clear to see why some comparisons were there. This was a silky young winger with the world at his feet, one who had just been named the most valuable player at the prestigious Toulon international youth tournament.
How many goals did Obertan score for Man United?
The lofty expectations thrust upon the Frenchman clearly became too much as his career at Man United was nothing short of a nightmare.
He only scored once in 27 appearances for the senior side, contributing four assists in total over a two year stay. Obertan was, at least, more prolific for the reserve side at the time, finding the net on eight occasions in 22 U21 matches, while providing five assists.
That development and form may well have been exciting but the fact of the matter is that he never made the grade.
Next up on Obertan's agenda was a move to Newcastle United in 2011, although he didn't fare much better at St James' Park, scoring on only three occasions in 75 games.
Where is Gabriel Obertan now?
Obertan has seemingly been round the houses since setting foot in Manchester all those years ago.
The hope was that the young French star would replace Ronaldo but his career has taken him so far away from that remarkable comparison, it scarcely defies belief.
After Newcastle, the winger headed to Russian side Anzhi Makhachkala then back to England with Wigan, before joining Levski Sofia, then Turkish second division side Erzurumspor.
Rather strangely, the veteran attacker is now plying his trade in America. No, he's not in MLS, but instead the third tier of USA football where he dons the Charlotte Independence jersey.
Obertan may well be at the end of his career now but 14 years on, that is quite the fall from grace.
Even in the States he's struggled to find the net with too much regularity, netting 12 goals across 53 appearances.
Like many young footballers, this is a classic tale of what could have been. Either way, that £3m gamble back in 2009 never really paid off.
