United seal Obertan deal

July 08, 2009

SIGNED UP: Gabriel Obertan

UNITED have completed the signing of Gabriel Obertan from Bordeaux on a four-year-deal.

The versatile 20-year-old, who cost around £3million, joins Antonio Valencia and Michael Owen in strengthening Sir Alex Ferguson's attacking options ahead of the new season.

"Gabriel is a player we have tracked for a few years now, but because of his educational programme our efforts to get him here have always been delayed," the Reds boss told www.manutd.com.

"We are delighted to get him now as he is an exciting prospect. We like to get young players and develop them, and we will see that in Gabriel over the next two years."

Obertan added: "I am very happy to join Manchester United.

"This is a big opportunity for me to play at such a great club. I am very excited to be here and I look forward to proving what I can do."

Obertan will miss United's pre-season tour to Malaysia because of a slight injury.

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Andrew Rayner (08/07/2009 at 14:27)

Hopefully he will come good eventually, what we need now is proven top quality in midfield, at the moment we have obertan and tosic who we know
little about and have a long way to go, valencia who is unproven with us, nani who is atrocious, park is nothing more than a hardworker, we have nothing outwide that is definitely going to put us there or therabouts next season, a really really unproven and lacking in quality across the midfield 4 at the moment, we need fabregas to be our new scholes and david silva on the left, both gettable for a combined 50-60 million, problem solved.

stuart ripley (08/07/2009 at 14:35)

Not good to hear he is injured !! but he looks like he could have something so welcome to utd and good luck to him.

VIVA JOHN O'SHEA.. (08/07/2009 at 14:37)

He looks like a good prospect..20 million on three players isnt bad going!
Anyone would think we were on a strict budget?!

I see the Stretford End Arising (08/07/2009 at 14:40)

What we have signed so far.

Obertan - raw unproven
Valencia - Selfless team player with pace and crossing ability. But can he do it at the highest level.
Owen - can he stay fit? can he produce like he used to? he hasn't got the pace anymore that he used to? a lot of questions to be answered.

Where is the big name signing and proven world talent we really do need to stave off the scum and rent boys?

We need a world class creative midfielder & (if hargreaves can't make it back) a dogfighter who will win ball all over the park and use it wisely. We may also need another proven winger as park & nani clearly can't cut the mustard and giggsy is pushing on 36.

At the back, we may need another right back while rafael develops as O'Shea is a walking accident and Wes is injury prone.

Mrs Fullaway`s lodger (08/07/2009 at 14:43)

How many goals do you expect Owen to score next season:

It's obvious every vote under 20 goals has been made by a blue nosed visiting marauder to our site. There is never anything of importance going on over there, that's why they are so abundant on our side. Worse than the Klingons (cling-ons?!)

Scholesy passed me the ball..., England (08/07/2009 at 14:44)

Another Bellion or another Ronaldo? I'd accept somewhere in between!

Duncan, London (08/07/2009 at 14:44)

Looks like a really tricky winger with pace from youtube vids. Things are looking ominous for the likes of Nani. A shame though - I still hope we give him another year.

Red Dawn (08/07/2009 at 14:45)

It was that 'slight injury' that probably held the deal back from being announced last night.

Lets hope it's not one of those 'slight injuries' that Louis Saha and Owen Hargreaves had we we signed them.

Obertan has suffered from a fair bit of injury over the years.

Mrs Fullaway`s lodger (08/07/2009 at 14:45)

Never heard of him prior to Sunday. Seen him on youtube, seems to run like a puff (am I allowed to say that?) but looks as if he has loads of ability.

Looks like a return to 4 4 2, happy days.

omo, ksa (08/07/2009 at 14:46)

I hope he goes out on loan or else it ll affect tosic who i think is better suited to the 1st team than obertan. Surely having 4 players on the left wing wont help tosic,nani or obertan. I think Nani will play a lot better this season on the left flank with tosic backup. VAlencia could be on the right with park, welbeck as backup.

Kris-Kross, Ashton Under Lyne (08/07/2009 at 14:48)

Welcome to Manchester United Gabriel. I hope you prove to be a great success!

Red Max (08/07/2009 at 14:53)

Welcome Gabriel.

Fredrik, Sweden (08/07/2009 at 14:59)

Another exciting youngster, and maybe the last signing of the summer? We now have an abundant of wingers: Park, Valencia, Nani, Tosic and Obertan. OH, Welbeck and Rooney can also play there and Ljajic will arrive soon. A move for Costa, Silva or Sanchez is now less likely.

kubanpete (08/07/2009 at 14:59)

He is already injured and wont be going on the tour !!!! Lets hope SAF has some real signings for this season.

Lord Ruud (08/07/2009 at 15:00)

From Fergie's comments I suspect we won't be seeing him in the first team for a while abnd he may be loaned out.

Nice to see us get another young player in that we can develop, fingers crossed he works out well as we have a nice crop now with the likes of Foster, Fabio, Rafael, Evans, Anderson, Ljalic, Nani, Tosic, Possebon, Petrucci, Welbeck and Macheda.

BigumRF, Denmark (08/07/2009 at 15:01)

Guys he's gonna double swoop for Veloso and Moutinho!!! Problems solved!

IS IT REALLY 33 YEARS, TAMESIDE (08/07/2009 at 15:03)

MEANWHILE OVER AT THE COMEDY CLUB!

Lee , Heywood, Heywood (08/07/2009 at 15:11)

There is an interesting profile on him on Uniteds website from a BBC world football correspondant. Possibly an excellent signing for the money.

Mrs Fullaways Lodger...LOL !!

Brora boy, Highlands (08/07/2009 at 15:18)

I think Moutinho should be the next target then with defence and mid field settled we could finish off with a decent striker. The big money spending has not quite settled as I expect Chelsea to shell out a small fortune on Ribery soon. However, once the madness is over we can settle the striker situation unless Rooney, Berbie and Owen are what Fergie wants to go with.

Free Red, Manchester (08/07/2009 at 15:22)

Well he's cheap at £3 million and that's all that matter to his new pay masters.

Red Apache, Didsbury (08/07/2009 at 15:29)

Sir Alex "We like to get young players and develop them, and we will see that in Gabriel over the next two years."
We need someone for this year not 2 years time we have enough kids on the books.

I would like to see 2 out these 3 at United. Huntelaar, Sneidjer and Yahya Toure and I will be happy. been linked with both Huntelaar and Toure over the last few days.

falconi (08/07/2009 at 15:29)

Nice to see us get another young player in that we can develop, fingers crossed he works out well as we have a nice crop now with the likes of Foster, Fabio, Rafael, Evans, Anderson, Ljalic, Nani, Tosic, Possebon, Petrucci, Welbeck and Macheda. Lord Ruud, 8/07/2009 at 15:00 . WOW. The football world are going to be really worried about this. when you add to this a 3 goal a season winger from wigan and a crocked centre forward who has a loyalty card with BUPA i can see nothing but world domination for the next 50 years. tick tock.

Duncan, London (08/07/2009 at 15:32)

"Never heard of him prior to Sunday. Seen him on youtube, seems to run like a puff (am I allowed to say that?) but looks as if he has loads of ability."

Fullaway's lodger that might be a good thing - there is a Jamaican saying that if someone is really quick he can run "like 10 battymen", relating I think to their ability to escape a beating;) Wouldn't level that implication at Mr Bolt though.

T Carroll (08/07/2009 at 15:34)

We now have an abundance of young wingers (not over-abundance mind you) but only four would seem to be first team options for next year: Park, Nani, Valencia, Giggs. Tosic will be fringe first team, Obertan will see little if any first team time as will Ljajic when he arrives. SAF certainly appears to be building for the future and sending a strong message to Park and Nani that they make or break themselves with Utd this year. Personally, I see Nani and Valencia seeing the most time and our year will swing a lot on that. They won't be counted on for a goal ratio anywhere near Ronaldo but their service better big good or 1 or 2 of them will be gone come January.

tooth&claw, manchester (08/07/2009 at 15:40)

Stretford End Arising, why do we need a big name signing? SAF rarely goes for established names and values potential higher than star-billing. Only Berbatov, Hargreaves and Van Der Sar have been bought knowing that they are the finished article. Everyone else has been a work in progress and have improved hugely at United. Vidic, Evra, Carrick fall into that category, whilst Nani and Anderson have some work to do yet. So, why change something that works so well? I hope we don't buy a big name or spend more than £20m. Keep it and cherry-pick the up and coming young talent. United will have scouts in Ukraine and to me that's where they should be and not sniffing at the dustbins of Real Madrid and Bayern Munich.

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